Ojamajo Doremi Breakaway Remastered
by The Blue Time Ranger
Summary: Siblings Nick Kelly and Yuki Shinoya, fed up with the way their father has been treating them, decide to break away from their past, into a life where all they need is each other. However, strange forces are at work behind the scenes, all intending to wipe them out of existence. Will Nick and Yuki be able to break away from the past, or will the past break them first?


People think that because I'm still only a teenager, I don't understand some of the horrors of our world.

Trust me when I say that I know one of those horrors personally.

Thing is, he never used to be like this.

When we were in our early teens, he was a bit gruff, but overall a great person, someone I'd be proud to have as my father.

So I ask again: what happened? Why did dad become like this?

At first I had no clue why he was doing what he did, why he'd transformed into such a jerkoff.

But despite some insecurity from my sister, I did some investigating.

Turns out mom is having an affair with someone.

When you face facts, I figured something like this was bound to happen eventually. I mean, come on, mom and dad have been married since they were eighteen. That's almost thirty years of marriage, people. It's hard to keep up something like that for that long without some hairline cracks in the foundation.

I don't know how dad found out. Hell, I'm not even sure if he really cares. But whatever happened, he didn't take it very well.

Now, I know what it's like to have anger and no way to vent it. I've been in that situation many times before.

But when you turn that anger on a family member...

...when you take your anger out on my sister...

...as I've said to many people, that's a line you're not meant to cross.

**The Blue Time Ranger is proud to present... **_Ojamajo Doremi Breakaway Remastered™_

I couldn't help but cheer to myself as I continued to push buttons rapid-fire on my Playstation controller and made my on-screen character pretty much annihilate one of this game's most difficult bosses. I've been stuck on this creepy jerkoff for two months now, ever since I finished the main story. I know extra bosses are supposed to be much tougher than the rest of the game, but this guy is just unbelievably RIDICULOUS!

Oh, wait, I forgot. Introductions. I did this before, so why did I forget now?

My name's Nick Kelly. Fourteen years old as of a few weeks ago. My family... well, as I just said, it's kinda broken right now.

My mom is apparently having an affair with someone, and my father... I don't think I need to repeat myself.

Because of this, I rarely see mom anymore thanks to her new job at the downtown bank. She works pretty long hours, but the pay is reliable enough to keep us afloat and living a good life. I don't think mom knows what dad's been... um, 'doing', because the two of them pretty much split up, even if the divorce hasn't been finalized. Legal proceedings are not fun to deal with, people. I speak only from experience.

When dad caught wind of this, he really wanted to blow his top. He had anger issues as a kid, even if most of those issues were started by bullies picking on him. I guess those issues never faded, because not too long after mom and dad split up, dad started... well...

He couldn't take his anger out on me, because he knows I'd sock him right back if he did.

He did something even worse.

He started assaulting my sister.

About a year and a half ago was when it started. Yuki and I were already dealing with both the stress of the divorce proceedings and the assaults of an evil organization called the Delegates of Darkness.

I came home from practice that day, as I had recently joined the middle school soccer team. I called for my sister, who's always there to greet me when I get home no matter what happens.

She didn't answer my call.

Naturally, this weirded me out. I began searching around the house, wondering just what the heck was going on. Usually, if my sister couldn't greet me when I got home, she wasn't at home herself, likely out with her friends or her boyfriend. There had to be a reason why she wasn't responding to me.

When I reached her bedroom, I saw the reason.

She was sitting on her bed, crying her heart out. At first, I wasn't sure why (methinks a certain black-haired someone might have had something to do with it), but then I saw bruises on her arms, and a rather nasty one on her face. I pretty much lost it at that point, ready to find the person responsible and slap him into uber-submission.

I had initially suspected her new boyfriend (mostly because I didn't completely trust him yet at that point like I do now) had done this to her.

When she said that dad had caused those bruises, I was utterly shocked.

I'm telling you right now, people, hearing that our own father had assaulted her JUST TO TAKE HIS ANGER OUT just enraged me like you wouldn't believe.

She tried to talk me out of it, knowing how strong dad was. I didn't pay it any mind, my only intent making dad pay for what he'd done.

But my sister started crying even harder, and then, as I'm sure you all know by now, I made a promise.

I promised my sister that no matter what happened from then on, I would protect her from the harshness of the world, that I would do my very best to keep dad from taking his anger out on her.

We sealed that promise with our grandmother's 'magic word', "nankurunaisa". It a little thing she liked to say that means "everything will work out".

Though dad continued his attacks, my sister and I stayed as strong as we could, hoping that something good would come of the waiting.

But most people who know me will remember that I'm not terribly patient at all. That simply wouldn't do it for me.

A year and a half of waiting for what? Nothing's really changed with dad. Thankfully, he only rarely does what he did, but it's still enough to be a problem.

I'm now officially sick of waiting. I'm ready to take action.

I'm surprised it took as long as it did for my patience to run out, but no more.

After a big cheer to celebrate finally whipping that annoying boss battle in the face, I put the game on pause and walked out of my room.

Taking a quick peek around the corner to see if anyone was approaching, I walked down the stairs, expecting to see dad sulking about it like he's been doing.

No one was in the living room.

Not leaving it to chance, I stepped into the kitchen, where it was easy to see the driveway. Dad's car wasn't there. Good. Now there won't be any chance of a slip-up.

I quickly dashed back up the stairs, ignoring my urge to try a backwards dash. (I'd been playing too much Castlevania lately.)

Stopping at a flower-patterned door, I tentatively knocked three times and waited for a response.

"Come on in, onii-chan."

Satisfied with that answer, I opened the door and stepped into the room of my younger sister, twelve-and-a-half-year-old Yuki Shinoya.

"I heard you in there," Yuki giggled. "Did you finally beat that boss?"

I nodded. "I seriously want to know what the developers were thinking when they made that boss as hard as they did. They must have known what they were getting themselves into!"

"That's intentional, Nick-kun," Yuki replied. "They make those post-game boss fights insanely hard so you feel triumphant when you take 'em down. It's meant to help you grow as a player."

"You would know this how?" I quipped. "You don't play RPGs."

"I play some of them!" Yuki shot back.

"Name one."

"Xenosaga Episode III."

"I didn't know you liked that series."

"I've been in love with it since the first game came out!" Yuki giggled. "Great characters, innovative battle systems, it's just awesome!"

I couldn't help but smirk as I saw the game case atop Yuki's Playstation 2. I'd bought one for her as a gift for her twelfth birthday, knowing they would be pretty inexpensive what with the Playstation 3 on the rise.

"Good for you, sis," I stated as I sat down on the bed by my sister.

I knew she didn't want to start that particular conversation, so I figured I'd do it myself.

"Aren't you sick of waiting by now, Yuki-chan?"

"Eh?"

I looked out the window; the bright daylight was starting to give way to the nighttime stars. Yes, corny, I know.

"I've had it with waiting for dad to change his ways," I explained. "It's obvious he's not making any effort to get his anger under control. I keep worrying that you might get hurt even worse next time... and worse, what if I'm not there to protect you this time?"

Yuki effectively stopped my tirade by letting her hand rest on top of my own.

"You've always been there to protect me, onii-chan," Yuki stated. "You haven't broken your promise."

"I know, Yuki-chan, but I'm out of patience. I'm done waiting for something to change when it's obviously not going to. We might not have any time left. What if the next time we see dad, he comes after you again? I might not be able to stop myself from snapping that bastard's neck..."

Yuki cringed slightly at that, though I knew she wasn't scared. She knew quite well that I could be seriously scary when I got angry, though not to the extent of my dad. I've learned from past experiences to keep myself under control if I get angry.

"Nick-kun... what are you saying?" Yuki asked.

Right to the point, huh? "I'm saying, sis, that I think it's time we hit the road before we end up in a catastrophe."

"You mean... run away from home?" Yuki gasped.

"We don't have anything left here!" I exclaimed. "Mom lives somewhere else now, and dad... well, I'd rather not talk about it. There's nothing for us here. I'm sick of living a life in fear of what dad could do."

"So... you want to break away from our old life?" Yuki wondered.

"Into a new life, where all we have is our friends... and each other," I responded. "Mom said she'd still support us whenever she could. But for the most part, we're on our own now."

Yuki let her legs dangle off the side of the bed. "Where would we go, onii-chan?"

Crap. I'd never really thought about that. "To be honest, sis, I don't really know. Pretty much... wherever the wind takes us, I guess."

To my definite surprise, Yuki smiled. "That's fine by me."

"We need to take this chance now, Yuki-chan, because I'm not sure if we're going to get another," I continued. "I'm going to go get my things. You pack up whatever you want to bring with you, and meet me in my room in an hour. We'll take off from there."

Yuki nodded. "Before we go... I... I just wanted to say that... I love you, onii-chan."

Yuki leapt over and threw her arms around me. I didn't waste a second in returning the hug. "I love you, too, sis."

As I hopped off of the bed to return to my room, I turned back to Yuki and said "Remember, sis... nankurunaisa."

Yuki giggled at that.

I raced back to my room, not sure where dad was but worried about when he would return. I had to do this quickly.

I packed pretty much what you'd expect for something like this, but I managed to make room in my messenger bag for both of my game systems, the Playstation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. It was then that I remembered something. Something mom had imparted to me.

I set my messenger bag down and jaunted over to the dresser, pulling the second drawer open and ruffling through the myriad of t-shirts I owned.

Yep. Just as I thought.

A couple months after the split, mom had given me a debit card that I could use if I ever needed to support myself since she was away so much.

I scooped the card up, slipped it into my wallet, and went to grab my messenger bag.

An hour passed with no sign of dad coming back to the house, so I decided that it was time to make like the wind.

"Yuki-chan? You ready?" I asked outside her room door.

"Just a second, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, and after a couple seconds of waiting, she opened the door, her Pretty Cure-themed backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Sorry about that," Yuki quipped. "I had a lot of wires to stuff in there. Hopefully next time Sony makes a console, they use less wires..."

Yuki reached out to take my hand. "Well, onii-chan, let's do this."

"My thoughts exactly."

Alas, we had a rather close call once we'd left the house. Just as we were dashing across the yard, a familiar set of headlights appeared.

"Oh, no..." Yuki gasped.

"Hide back here!" I growled, and we both dashed over to the neighbor's garage, pushing ourselves against the wall to avoid being spotted.

Sure enough, dad stepped out of his car and walked to the house. I had my hand clamped over Yuki's mouth in a desperate attempt to not be detected.

Dad looked around a few times, but simply grunted and walked back into the house. My god, that was probably the closest call I've ever had in my life.

"Oh, man, that had my heart going for a bit..." I gasped. "You okay, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki looked scared out of her wits. I can't honestly say I blame her.

"It's okay, Yuki-chan. We're all right," I stated, affectionately squeezing her shoulder to get her to calm down.

"Sorry, onii-chan... that just brought up a bad memory of the last time it happened..." Yuki gasped. "My heart was racing for a second..."

"Let's get going," I quipped. "I know a place."

And with that, we set off into the night-soaked city of Misora, leaving our old life behind once and for good.

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Thankfully, it's still easy to navigate the city at night, especially if you've lived here you entire life.

I took Yuki through the city, intent on finding the destination we were searching for, but on the way, we were jumped by a gang of cloaked hoodlums.

"Hey, kiddies," one of the goons sneered. "What are you doing out here so late at night?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," I quipped, setting my bag down and reaching into it to pull out my wand, the Koseki Poron. I couldn't see their faces, but the black cloak that was easily distinguishable even this late at night meant that these hoodlums were part of the Delegates of Darkness.

"We're in a hurry, so if you'd just go ahead and leave us alone, we can all benefit here!" Yuki growled, pulling out her own Koseki Poron.

"Sorry, but we have our orders," one of the goons replied.

Didn't think so.

"Ready, Yuki-chan?" I asked.

"Let's do it, onii-chan!" Yuki giggled.

We held our wands in front of us as they began to glow with pure magical power.

"_Snap, Tobiume!"_ Yuki shouted. Her Koseki Poron became a long, sword-like weapon with jitte-like prongs sprouting from the side of the blade.

"_Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_ I shouted. My Koseki Poron became a long, thick-bladed sword with crescent moon patterns. The weapon's blade was encased in pure crystal.

"You still wanna retract that stupid statement of yours before we hurt you?" I growled.

"It'll take more than fancy light shows to scare us," the hoodlums proclaimed.

I just shook my head. Guess it was time to teach these punks a lesson.

Thankfully, Yuki had already thought ahead, charging her magical energy into Tobiume's blade and slamming it down to the ground, causing deep pink energy spheres to vault from the tip of the blade and explode in front of the goons, scattering them easily.

I quickly spun Nenshou Hikari in my hands as the crystal-encased blade began to glow brightly. Hope this hurts, buddy.

"_Diamond Tempest!"_ I shouted, swinging Nenshou Hikari horizontally and unleashing a gargantuan wave of pure light energy at the hoodlums, sending them all flying back into the shadows.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" I exclaimed. Seriously, I'm getting sick of them jumping us every chance they get.

We sheathed our weapons and continued our journey, unaware that someone was watching us from nearby.

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"Wow, Nick-kun," Yuki gasped when we finally arrived at our destination: the rather ritzy-looking Through the Night Hotel. "It's so classy... are you sure we can afford this?"

"Thank mom for a contingency plan," I quipped, remembering the note mom had left with my debit card.

_If you ever need a place to stay when your father's antics become too much, follow these directions and tell the clerk that I referred you. You'll be able to stay as long as you want for a discounted price. Don't worry about money, I have enough for all of us to get by. Maybe one day we'll be a family again._

"Okaa-san came prepared, huh?" Yuki noted, her arms looped around mine. I noticed lately that Yuki's been a lot more clingy and dependent on me, but as I've said before, it's perfectly understandable considering everything that we've been through.

"This place is going to be our home for a while, sis," I stated. "Let's enjoy it while we can, all right?"

"Acknowledged!" Yuki giggled as we walked into the hotel hand in hand.

As Yuki gazed at the lovely surroundings, I walked up to the clerk that was stationed at the main desk and told him exactly what mom had told me to do.

A few seconds later, I rejoined Yuki on the other side of the lobby, our room key in hand.

"Nick-kun, I just realized... what about the girls?" Yuki asked. "Won't they be worried if they hear what's happened?"

"We'll only tell them if we need to," I answered. "I'd rather they not get involved in this."

Yuki nodded. I know she's worried about the others. To be honest, I am too. But like I said, I'd rather keep them out of the loop until we need to explain ourselves. Which I'm afraid might be sooner rather than later...

But all in all, I was excited. Yuki and I are finally beginning a new life, where all we need is each other (and our friends and lovers, of course). I'm going to miss mom, but as long as she knows we're all right, that's good enough for me.

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All that can be seen is darkness as a mysterious figure casually strolls through the inky blackness of his legion's headquarters.

To his sides, strange glass tubes stretch in a line outwards, each containing an ominous red liquid that pulses with each step the figure makes, as if reacting to his very footsteps.

After a while of walking, the silver-haired man reaches a door embedded with the symbol of the organization he works for. He reaches out to knock twice on the door.

"Enter," the voice on the other side proclaims, full of command and control. The door opens, and the silver-haired man walks in.

"It has been too long, my lord," the silver-haired man proclaimed.

"Saotome. I assume your intelligence gathering mission was a success?" resounded the voice of the shadowed figure sitting on the throne at the opposite end of the room.

"Yes, my liege," Saotome responded. "However, I have some bad news as well. Two of my finest troopers were unfortunately repelled by... teenagers."

"Hmm... sounds like they could be the ones," the shadowed figure noted.

"The ones, you say, my lord? Is it true?"

"Yes, Saotome. The prophecy has come to pass, and the divine power will soon be ours. I will assign you with the task of eliminating them and taking the divine power. Do not disappoint me."

"Understood," Saotome replied, melting back into the darkness.

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Yuki found me playing my game again when she stepped back into our room the next morning.

"Nick-kun, are you STILL fighting that cheap-o boss?" Yuki wondered.

"Worse," I quipped. "The game just threw a HARDER fight in my face. And what's worse, this guy is guarding the best frickin' weapon in the game. Add to that the fact that I haven't even gone up against the final boss yet... I could REALLY use that weapon..."

"I'm getting kinda hungry... you wanna go down and get breakfast?" Yuki asked.

Before I could answer that, I heard my stomach growling. "Guess so... I've been itching to get something to munch on. Last night left me HUNGRY..."

I put the game on pause so Yuki and I could head down to the cafeteria and get something to satisfy our stomachs.

"Are you really okay with this, Nick-kun?" Yuki asked me as we rode down the, in my honest opinion, cool-looking glass elevator. "This living on our own thing... I'm still a little worried..."

"We'll have to make the best of what we've got," I replied. "I personally couldn't stand the idea of spending any more time in that place and letting dad have his way."

"I just feel a little weird doing this..." Yuki admitted. "Of course, as long as you're with me, I'd go anywhere, but it still just feels out-of-place actually doing it..."

"We'll get through. I promise," I responded. "Nankurunaisa, remember?"

That was enough to get Yuki to smile.

Once we were settled into the cafeteria, happily munching on pancakes, I looked out one of the nearby windows. I wonder how mom's doing...

"Say, Nick-kun, did you wanna go see a movie later?" Yuki asked.

"Hm?"

"I know you've been pretty stressed lately," Yuki continued. "So I figured maybe we could go see a movie or something that'll get all of this stress to go away."

"Is it really that obvious?" I wondered.

"Hey, I'm your sister, Nick-kun. I can read you like a book," Yuki giggled.

"Well, is there anything you wanted to go see?" I asked. "I'd honestly be okay with anything you wanted to see."

Suddenly, Yuki's eyes began to sparkle. That must mean she's on to something. "I checked the paper this morning, and they've finally released that Super Sentai movie where they crossed over with Battle Rangers!"

"Aren't the two series technically the same thing, just meant to appeal to different age groups?" I quipped, knowing the differences between Battle Rangers and Super Sentai. Even nowadays, Yuki doesn't dare miss an episode of Battle Rangers, even if Onpu hasn't been in it as much lately due to other idol things. To be honest, I'm surprised that they're still doing Battle Rangers nowadays, especially with the meteoric rise in Super Sentai's popularity. Eh, classics will be classics, I guess.

"That doesn't mean Battle Rangers sucks, silly!" Yuki proclaimed. "And considering that two of Japan's most beloved superhero shows are finally crossing over with each other... ooh, I can't wait!"

I just had to smile at that. My sister really is something else, isn't she?

A couple people noticed that Yuki and I were holding hands as we walked back to our room. I didn't really pay it any mind. Yuki and I have been holding hands since we were little, and I don't see any reason to stop now, right? There's nothing really wrong with it.

I say this because there's this one kid in our class who seems to have it drilled into his mind that we're a little... um, _more_. I had to seriously restrain myself from punching that guy, because that accusation infuriated me. He apparently can't see that we both have a significant other (especially considering that Yuki never tends to shut up about Saiki). Yes, I'm closer to my sister than normal siblings are. Is there a problem with that?

We're closer than normal siblings because we've been through a lot of crazy situations in our life. And I don't see a single thing that's wrong with that.

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"Seriously, I'm gettin' sick of this!" Aiko Senoo shouted. The rest of the Ojamajos were all pacing around the interior of the Twin Bells MAHO-dou that afternoon, starting to grow concerned about the fact that Nick and Yuki hadn't been in contact for over six months. "They're supposed to be our friends, and yet they haven't even said a word to us in SIX FREAKIN' MONTHS!"

"Ai-chan, I'm sure they have their reasons," Doremi Harukaze answered. "Last thing I heard, their parents had split up, so maybe they're still dealing with that..."

"Not that I don't know what that's like, but still, SIX MONTHS without a single word from them?!" Aiko shot back. "I'm starting to think there's more behind it than just that."

"Ai-chan, just let it be!" Onpu Segawa quipped. "It's probably too personal for us to be concerned about. If they want to tell us, they'll tell us, okay? We shouldn't be pressuring them into spilling the beans."

"I'm still worried about them, though..." Hazuki Fujiwara answered. "It's been way too long..."

"One of us needs to call them," Poppu Harukaze quipped. "Maybe you, Momo-chan? You've actually spent time with them these past few months, so maybe you'd know what's been going on."

"Sorry, Poppu-chan, I'm as in the dark as everyone else here," Momoko Asuka admitted. "Nick's never told me anything about what's been happening. I figured he just didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't push the issue."

"Hana-chan misses Yuki-mama..." Hana Makihatayama sighed, absent-mindedly playing with one of her long ponytails.

"Doremi-chan, you'd better call them," Aiko stated. "I'm getting sick of waiting and waiting."

Doremi shrugged her shoulders. "Might as well try something," Doremi admitted, whipping out her cell phone and dialing the number for the Kelly/Shinoya household.

A few seconds passed...

"Hello? Are Kelly-kun or Yuki-chan there?"

Doremi almost instantly jerked the phone away from her ear, and everyone could hear garbled yelling coming from the phone's speaker. After about three seconds, Doremi hastily closed the phone.

"What the heck was THAT, Doremi-chan?!" Aiko asked.

"Their otou-san just yelled at me," Doremi answered. "Said that no one but him lives there anymore. He was REALLY angry for some reason..."

"Okay, I think that counts enough to be 'suspicious'," Aiko growled, bringing out her own cell phone. "I'm callin' their cell numbers."

Aiko waited a couple seconds, only to look up in surprise. "Kelly-kun's not answering!"

"Did he maybe not hear it?" Onpu wondered.

"Don't give me that! It didn't ring at all! That means he turned his phone off!"

"Try calling Yuki-chan," Hazuki suggested. "She's more likely to answer her cell phone at this time of the day than Kelly-kun is."

Deciding it was worth a try, Aiko re-opened her cell phone and dialed Yuki's number. Almost instantly, the blue witch growled in frustration. "Yuki-chan's not answerin' either! She turned her cell phone off, too!"

"Well, maybe they're somewhere that you can't use cell phones?" Doremi wondered.

"Where the heck would they be, at the movies?!" Aiko shouted, only to instantly realize the irony in her statement. She quickly gathered her wand and rushed out the front door.

"Ai-chan, where are you going?!" Fami exclaimed.

"I'm going to catch a flick!" Aiko shouted back. _An' hopefully get some answers, too._

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"My lord, I believe I have located the two that possess the fragments of the divine power," Saotome proclaimed to his commander. "They seem to be going to the movies."

"Use stealth, then," the leader stated. "If you attack full force, there may be a risk of us being discovered by the general public before our plans are ready to begin."

"And if they attempt to resist us?"

"_Then_ you may use whatever means necessary."

"Understood, my lord."

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"Two for _Super Sentai vs. Battle Rangers_, please," I stated to the person at the ticket window.

"Old school fan, huh?" the patron quipped, handing us both our tickets once I'd paid.

"I'm more partial to Super Sentai. My sister's the big Battle Rangers fan," I replied.

"Theater twelve to your right, and enjoy the show!" the patron proclaimed.

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Yuki giggled. "I heard this movie's been getting amazing reviews!"

"I'd imagine so. Two of Japan's most legendary superhero shows together in one event, it's bound to be a ratings behemoth," I quipped as we walked up to the concession stand to get our munchies for the movie. "Now they just need to bring Kamen Rider into the mix and they'd be perfect..."

Yuki couldn't help but giggle at that. She knew that despite my love for Super Sentai, I was a rather extreme fan of the Kamen Rider franchise, partly due to the fact that it was the first superhero show that I saw growing up.

Reaching out to hold hands once again, Yuki and I made our way to the theater in question. If we had bothered to look around, we may have seen Aiko dashing into the theater, looking around frantically.

"Where did those two get off to?" Aiko growled.

When we'd reached the doorway to the theater, an usher handed us both a replica of what appeared to be the _Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger_ morphing device, the SP License.

"What's this for?" Yuki wondered.

"It's for the movie," the usher explained. "If any of the heroes are in trouble, use your SP License to cheer them on."

"Just like in the Pretty Cure movie!" Yuki exclaimed.

Once again, neither of us noticed Aiko approaching as we walked into the theater. And we definitely didn't notice the strange figures watching from the opposite end of the theater.

However, just as we were about to take our seats, something grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me back. I handed the popcorn bucket over to Yuki so I could take out my Koseki Poron and slash fiercely at whoever had just grabbed me.

To my surprise, it was Aiko who had pulled me back.

"Geez! Give me a little warning next time, why don't you?!" Aiko growled.

"A-Ai-chan?" Yuki gasped. "What's the matter?"

"I should be asking you two that question, little missy!" Aiko shot back, immediately advancing on me. "Where the HELL have you two BEEN for the past six months?!"

"I don't think it's really any of your concern, Ai-chan," I stated. "It's something we'd rather not share with you guys right now."

"Hello? You two haven't talked to us for SIX MONTHS! I think we've officially had enough of waiting for you two to spill the beans on what the heck's been happening with your family!" Aiko shouted.

I sighed in defeat. Aiko wasn't going to give up, apparently. "All right, fine. But not here. Yuki-chan and I are going to see our movie, and we'll stop by the MAHO-dou when it's done and we'll tell you. It's not something to mention in a public setting, got it?"

Aiko just nodded, her expression suddenly softening.

"Look. We just really miss you guys, okay? Ever since you two put that Zan-whatever guy six feet under, you haven't even said a single word to us. We were getting worried..." Aiko sighed. "I mean, you're supposed to be our friends, and friends don't keep secrets from each other, right?"

"Trust me, Ai-chan, we had a very good reason from keeping this one from you and the others," I responded. "We'll tell you the whole story when we stop by the MAHO-dou. Promise."

"All right, I'll hold ya to it," Aiko quipped, making her way out of the theater as quickly as she'd arrived.

"That was... weird," Yuki admitted. "I almost didn't realize that it's been so long since we've talked to the others..."

"Considering what we've been through, it'd be enough to scramble anyone's mind," I quipped. "But let's not stress ourselves out. Let's go see what these guys have in store."

With that, we went to take our seats, just missing the sets of eyes watching us from the darkness.

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"That was AWESOME!" Yuki giggled once the movie was over. I somehow knew that this was going to be one of her favorite things in a movie ever. "I just knew Onpu-onee-sama was going to steal the show in some way!"

I smiled a bit. The main plot of the movie was that the Battle Rangers were searching for the missing Princess Mi (played by Onpu, as always), and eventually ran into a random team of Rangers from all across Super Sentai history. (One of the main rangers was DekaRed, which would explain why our "wave this to cheer on the heroes" toy thing was the SP License.) After battling through a grueling gauntlet of bad guys from both series, they came across a dark witch that had captured Princess Mi and lured the good guys to her lair to get revenge for being sealed away by the very first Super Sentai team. The dark witch had utterly curbstomped the heroes until it was time for all of us to cheer them on. Because of our cheers (and in Yuki's favorite part of the movie), Princess Mi got this really cool-looking golden morpher thing that allowed her to transform into "Sorcerer Princess Mi", complete with a really sweet-looking golden armor suit that reminded me a bit of Excalibur Sonic. She'd used this new power to... well, completely annihilate the dark witch and save the day. I'm sure Yuki will we talking about that for years.

"She always does, Yuki-chan. You've known that for years," I responded as we made our way towards the Twin Bells MAHO-dou from the theater.

"I hope she'll keep playing Princess Mi for a long time! She's the only person I could possibly consider to play the role!"

As little hearts floated over Yuki's head, I looked back towards the theater, only to see something strange our of the corner of my eye.

Oh, crap.

"The way she just donned that golden suit and wrecked that hag... Onpu-chan's so cool and smart and KAWAII~"

"YUKI-CHAN, GET DOWN!" I shouted, grabbing my sister and pushing her to the ground. Turns out I'd acted just in time, as a set of throwing knives had flown over where we'd just been. If I'd have been off by a second or more... well, you probably wouldn't want to know.

"What the heck? Who threw that?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"That would be us, _dumpling_," one of the shadowy goons replied as they crawled out from their nearby hiding place. "Now I will make this as simple as I possibly can. Hand over your fragments of the divine power or we will slaughter you on the spot and take them ourselves."

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve, buddy," Yuki growled, whipping out her Spiritual Phone. "And only Saiki-kun gets to call me a dumpling and get away with it!"

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I quickly performed our group pose after that. _"The world's youngest witches with the power to save the planet! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"Do not think your little light shows will intimidate us," the other goon stated.

"_Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_ I shouted, transforming my weapon instantly. These freaks want a light show? Oh, I'll give 'em a light show.

"_Diamond Tempest!"_ I chanted, swinging my weapon horizontally and unleashing a searing wave of light energy that knocked the goons back a few yards.

But they still kept coming! Guess they're not your garden-variety goons.

"I've got this, Nick-kun," Yuki stated, winking at me before readying her own weapon. _"Snap, Tobiume!"_

"Give us the divine power," the goons proclaimed. "We will not ask you again."

"Why don't you go tell your leader to shove THIS up his tailpipe?!" Yuki shouted, Tobiume's blade glowing with blackish-blue electricity.

"Get her!" the goons growled, charging forward.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki shouted, swinging her weapon in an arc that sent out a wave of lightning blasts, enough to stun the goons.

"_Mystic Arte! Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, this time performing an overhead slash that created a giant black-and-blue energy crescent to slash at the goons. When the light cleared, there was nothing left of them.

"Did... did they disappear?" Yuki wondered.

"Regardless, we've got an appointment to get to," I quipped, and we reverted so we could continue towards the MAHO-dou.

If I'd stopped to pay attention, I would have noticed someone with silver hair watching us from nearby.

"So. They do indeed possess the dual fragments of the divine power. This will be most interesting, indeed."

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"So, did you get anything from them, Ai-chan?" Doremi asked when Aiko finally returned to the shop.

"They should be here any minute," Aiko replied. "They said they had a good reason for keeping it from us."

"Hey, I think I see them!" Onpu exclaimed as the front door of the Twin Bells began to open.

"ONPU-ONEE-SAMA!" Yuki squealed as she dove at Onpu. Saw that coming from a mile away.

"Nice to see you, too, Yuki-chan," Onpu giggled.

"You looked so CUTE in that golden armor!" Yuki proclaimed.

"Oh, you saw the movie, huh?" Onpu quipped.

"Just got out of the theater!" Yuki exclaimed. "I swear, the way you were moving even with the armor on was just so graceful, it was all like ZOOM and WHAM and KABOOM!"

"Good to see you really haven't changed, Yuki-chan," Hazuki giggled.

"Now, I assume you guys have something to explain to us?" Aiko stated, cutting right to the point as always.

"Well, I guess we do," I responded. "But this is going to shock a lot of you here, so I'd be prepared if I were you."

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At the core of the Delegates of Darkness headquarters, their shadowed leader can be seen studying a strange, blood-red crystal. The spherical jewel glows with a dark red light, adding an eerie presence to the room.

"My lord."

"Enter, Gargos."

The large door opened slowly to reveal a man with short, spiky black hair and similar eyes. "It has been many moons, my lord. Why have you called me from my mission?"

"Because, Gargos, your skills are needed in this particular case. We have found the two who possess the fragments of the divine power."

Gargos perked up at this statement. "Those two? I never would have thought that those two little brats would hold what we have been searching for."

"From what I heard, you have dealt with them before, Gargos."

"It was when I was working under Zanza's leadership. I ran into those two multiple times, but I didn't think there was anything special about them, despite their magical abilities. You say that they possess the fragments of the power we seek?"

The leader turned to look at his crystal ball again. "We were not sure at first, but Saotome's troops eventually reported back with the news that they are the ones we have searched for."

"That is excellent news, my lord. What shall I do about them?"

The leader turned back to Gargos, tossing him a small jewel. "Use this to summon the Ifrit and raze this city to the ground. We can no longer afford to hesitate."

"Understood, my lord."

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"And that's pretty much everything we have to tell, girls," I stated, noting the shocked faces of pretty much everyone present. "I know you guys were worried, but we didn't want to get you all involved in our troubles."

"You still could have confided in us," Doremi replied. "That's what friends do, right?"

"Believe me, Doremi-chan, we wanted to," Yuki sighed. "But it seems like every time we were going to, otou-san lost it and it slipped our minds."

"Why do you think he changed so drastically?" Hazuki asked.

"Wish I knew," I admitted. Last time dad and mom had been miffed about a possible affair, it had only resulted in a large shouting match, even considering it had only been a rumor spread by an inconsiderate co-worker. Seriously, I'm still confused about what went wrong here.

"Your mom must be worried sick," Aiko realized.

"As far as I know, she doesn't know where we went, but considering she doesn't live with dad anymore, it's really not a surprise," I stated.

"Where are the two of you staying now?" Onpu wondered.

"The Through the Night Hotel," Yuki answered. "Okaa-san left Nick-kun a debit card so we could support ourselves just in case things went too wrong."

"Wow, guys, that's rough," Momoko quipped. "Now I see why you kept it from us."

"Like I said, we didn't want you all getting dragged into this," I stated. "It's not something we wanted to involve you all in. But I guess you're in it now, huh?"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Poppu wondered.

"For one thing, if you see Gargos anywhere, let us know IMMEDIATELY," I responded. "Dad's attacks started picking up right after Yuki-chan and I destroyed Zanza, so I've got this odd feeling that the Delegates of Darkness are somehow behind this. If any of you see them, let us know right away, all right?"

A bunch of thumbs up confirmed that for us.

"Why would the Delegates of Darkness want to break up your family?" Fami asked.

"Hell if I know anything about how these crazy people work," I responded. "I just stopped thinking about it when we wiped the floor with Zanza."

"Hana-chan won't let your mean old father hurt you anymore!" Hana exclaimed, walking up and hugging me.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hana-chan, but if dad finds us, we'll take care of him," I replied, hugging Hana back. She always did this whenever Yuki and I were upset.

"Just try not to hurt him _too_ much, okay?" Aiko teased.

"That may be a lost cause, Ai-chan," I stated very matter-of-factly. I don't care if this scares the girls, because I'm dead serious. "Because I swear to kami, if that bastard makes even a single move against my sister again, I'm gonna freakin' snap his neck."

"Yeesh, Kelly-kun, I've never heard you talk like that before," Doremi gasped.

"...girls, you didn't see my sister when this happened," I sighed, my hands trembling. "It's not something I can put into words... when I saw her with all those bruises on her arm, I was about ready to find whoever was responsible and break his neck just for assaulting Yuki-chan like that..."

I could definitely understand why everyone looked so freaked out. They'd never seen this side of me before. Even when we were going up against Zanza and his cronies, I was able to maintain my composure. But I guess that we hadn't said anything about our troubles back then.

"So, in short, girls, let us know if you see Gargos or any of those other jerks, but leave otou-san to us, okay?" Yuki stated. "We'll do whatever we need to."

Everyone nodded, still a little too shocked to speak. Guess I can't say I'm surprised after all.

"Okay, enough of the doom and gloom around here! Are we gonna get ta magic practice or what?!" Aiko shouted.

Yuki giggled at that. Leave it to Aiko to snap everybody out of gloomy moods.

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"So, back here again."

Gargos looked around, still clutching the Fireglow jewel in his hands. He still had his doubts about those two teenagers possessing the fragments of the divine power, but he had his orders as well, and he would see his mission through to the end.

"I was hoping to not see this wretched place after Zanza failed his purpose, but I will not deny my lord," Gargos stated to nobody in particular. "Now where would they be?"

"Oh, if it isn't the unbearable stiff."

Gargos clutched the jewel tightly, his eyes narrowing as he turned around to address whoever had just spoken to him. The strange man with silver hair, night purple eyes, and a rather vicious looking smirk was definitely the last person he ever wanted to see at this point in time.

"Long time, no see."

"Black Waltz Three, what in god's name are you doing here?!" Gargos growled. "I clearly remember telling you that I never wanted to see your ridiculous face again for as long as I live! Why are you here now?!"

"Just call me Waltz, buddy," Waltz responded. "As for what I'm doing here, I have orders to collect the Gaia Force that still hides in this city."

"Can't you take it somewhere else?!" Gargos shot back. "I can't stand even looking at your disgusting face! Don't think I'll EVER forget what you did!"

"It's really none of my concern, is it?" Waltz proclaimed. "Besides, I said that it was just business. I didn't know she was special to you until I'd already killed her. So go stuff that in your craw."

Gargos would have slugged Waltz if he hadn't remembered his orders. "You're lucky that I don't thrash you for that remark, you son of a bitch. But I have things I must do, so get out of my face while I do my work."

Gargos quickly turned on his heel and dashed off, not wanting to deal with Waltz at this point.

Waltz just smirked evilly. "Nice to see you, too."

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"Such a nice day, isn't it, Nick-kun?" Yuki giggled as we walked back to the hotel. Magic practice had gone pretty well, even though I'd accidentally brought a suit of armor to life because my thoughts strayed to what we've been going through.

"For once, the weather dude was right on the money," I replied. "I'm so sick of that, when the weathermen say one thing and then it does something else entirely!"

"You know they can't accurately tell the weather," Yuki stated. "All they can do is make predictions."

"I guess so, but still..."

"Hey, onii-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did... did you really mean what you said about otou-san back at the MAHO-dou?"

My fists clenched just thinking of that bastard who calls himself our father. "I meant every word that I said about him. I've seen enough of what he's done to you, Yuki-chan. In fact, I swear that if he did it to you again, I'd really end up just killing that son of a bitch..."

Yuki looked down and blushed. "Would you really do that, if it came down to it?"

"I don't want him touching you again. I promised that I'd always protect you, and if I have to do... that... then I will. I said I'd do whatever it takes."

"I just don't want people to think you're a murderer or anything..."

"He's an asshole! He'd frickin' deserve it!" I shouted, immediately regretting it as I saw Yuki flinch a bit. Damn it. This always happens when I get angry about something.

"Ah, jeez, Yuki-chan, I'm sorry..."

Yuki just shook her head. "It's okay, Nick-kun. I know you can get like that sometimes."

"But... you looked legitimately scared of me when I started venting..."

"It's just a voluntary reaction, Nick-kun! Promise!"

Yuki leaned over and hugged me tightly. "I could never be scared of you, onii-chan."

I'll admit, that definitely made me feel better.

"Now let's get back 'home' and not trouble our minds with this scary stuff, okay?" Yuki giggled.

"All right," I replied.

So, hand in hand, we made our way back to the hotel.

Or rather, we would have if I hadn't felt a harsh impact on the back of my head that sent me careening to the ground.

"Onii-chan!" Yuki shouted. "All right, who did that?!"

I picked myself up to see the face of the very homewrecker who'd been messing with us for so long.

"Gargos," I growled. "To what do I owe THIS unwanted visit?"

"And the same to you, brat," Gargos shot back. "My lord says that the two of you possess something that we need. I am here to see if those rumors are true."

Gargos quickly drew his personal battle sword, which was really all the indication I needed that this little jerkoff wants to throw down.

"All right, but don't go crying to your master when we lay the smackdown on your face like we did last time!" Yuki shouted, bringing out her Spiritual Phone.

"Enough of your taunting, twilight princess," Gargos growled.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I quickly performed our group pose after that. _"The world's youngest witches with the power to save the planet! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"You definitely haven't abandoned those powers, have you?" Gargos taunted.

"We don't use Super Silhouette that much anymore, if that's what you're talking about, but what we've got is more than enough to take care of you, buddy!" Yuki shot back. _"Snap, Tobiume!"_

"And still the same pronged sword. Get some new tricks, brat," Gargos proclaimed.

"Oh, you wanna see a new trick?" Yuki growled, swinging Tobiume threateningly. "Your goons got a taste of this the other day, and now I'm gonna show its full glory just for you, jerk!"

The blade of Tobiume began glowing with a bright blue light.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki shouted, swinging her weapon in an arc that sent out a wave of lightning blasts, enough to stun Gargos in his spot.

"_Mystic Arte! Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, this time performing an overhead slash that created a giant black-and-blue energy crescent to slash at Gargos and do some considerable damage.

Not wanting to let him get a chance to recover, I quickly summoned my own weapon. _"Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_

I rushed forward, my weapon already glowing. _"Diamond Tempest!"_ I shouted, swinging hard and sending a wave of pure light energy at Gargos that knocked him back so I could move in and attack with my own Mystic Arte.

If I've learned anything from my experiences with the Delegates of Darkness, it's that their generals are ruthless in their fighting styles. They don't give you a chance to fight back, so Yuki and I developed strategies that allowed us to hit them with one powerful attack after another to wear them down while keeping the pressure on. Believe me, it's a useful strategy. One time I waited too long to use an attack and I almost lost my arm in the process.

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at Gargos with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at Gargos on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte! Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Gargos' head.

"How's THAT?!" I shouted, waving my weapon in challenge.

"Such power... such unbelievable strength..." Gargos gasped, clutching his chest. Yeah, I hope that hurt, you jerk. "My lord was right. You do possess the fragments of the divine power."

"Divine power?" I repeated. "What exactly are you talking about, freak?!"

"Nothing that concerns you," Gargos shot back. "But I believe this would be the perfect opportunity to extract that power for my master."

Gargos whipped out a glowing red jewel. Now, let me say this right here: that thing freaked me out the way it was glowing with an evil-looking light.

"What is THAT?!" I shouted.

"The orchestrator of your demise, brats!" Gargos shouted, holding the crystal into the air. "Come, Ifrit! Raze this pathetic city to the ground so that we may claim the fabled divine power!"

Gargos clenched his fist hard, shattering the crystal and allowing a bright red energy burst to shoot into the sky. Once it did, the sky began to shift to an evil shade of dark red.

By this point, I was officially worried.

Especially considering the monster that was rising from the ground just behind Gargos, who seemed to be a lava-themed version of Godzilla. Not good at all.

"Um, Yuki-chan? We need to get this thing out of the city and FAST," I quipped. "We're gonna have to go Super Silhouette."

"All right, but let's do it quickly," Yuki conceded. "I can still feel the energy drain it hit us with last time..."

We held out our Spiritual Phones and began concentrating with all our might. Magical energy began to surround us in droves as we called upon our most powerful transformations.

The magical energy surrounding us concentrated around our bodies, transforming our outfits into something that resembled the Royal Patraine outfits that Doremi and her friends had used a few years back. My forehead was now adorned with a green crown, while Yuki was now wearing a black tiara. To complete the ensemble, the remaining magical energy around us formed into a star shape on my back, and a heart shape on Yuki's back. Even better, a pair of glowing angel wings sprouted from our back.

Yuki and I clapped our hands together twice, forming glittering earrings on our ears.

"_The Super Silhouette of Love, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki chanted.

"_The Super Silhouette of Bravery, Kelly-chi!"_ I chanted.

"Go ahead and try, brats," Gargos taunted. "It won't help you."

"_Oh, pitiful shadow lost in the darkness..."_ Yuki chanted, joining hands with me.

"_Oh, evil spirit born of those drifting between heaven and earth..."_ I chanted as we raised our joined hands, magical energy spiraling out from our wrists and forming a large magical vortex in front of us.

"_May the thunderous power of these holy, delicate souls strike down upon you with great vengeance and furious anger!"_ Yuki shouted, the heart sprouting from her back beginning to shine and feed more energy into the vortex.

"_May the holy light shining from the protectors of this world shatter your loathsome impurity and return you from whence you came!"_ I shouted, the star sprouting from my back feeding more energy into the magical vortex until it was larger than both of us combined.

Yuki and I drew our free hands back, ready to unleash our ultimate combination attack.

"_Double Ojamajo Orchestral Silhouette!"_ we both shouted, thrusting our free hands into the magical vortex, which immediately erupted into a truly immense cylinder of rainbow-colored energy that thundered through the air and struck the Ifrit with all the force of a runaway freight train, exploding into a spectacular aurora that lit up the early night sky. When the glow faded, nothing was left of the Ifrit.

"What now, Gargos?" I gasped, dropping to my knees and reverting to my normal self, completely exhausted. I'd forgotten that using Super Silhouette without the Purity Taps really drained our energy. "Your trump card... just got owned..."

To my great shock, Gargos just laughed. "What's so funny?!"

"On the contrary, brat, this battle's just getting started," Gargos proclaimed as the Ifrit somehow reformed itself above the nearby ocean.

"Oh, that's just not fair!" Yuki shouted.

"It is for me," Gargos shot back.

This is really, REALLY bad. If the strongest attack we have didn't do crap against this thing, that means we're out of options.

But we've gotta think of something fast, or we're done for. The problem is, I'm blanking on ideas.

And that scared me...

"Nick-kun, we're in trouble, aren't we?" Yuki quipped. Sometimes I hate when she's right, even if it's the truth.

"You have nothing left," Gargos proclaimed. "Why not just accept your fate and make it easier on yourselves?"

"We're not... like that, Gargos," I growled. "After all the times you've messed with us, you should understand that by now."

"Oh, _please_! Do not try to sound like you have a chance of stopping the Ifrit!" Gargos shouted. "What hope do you even have?!"

"_An aurora of color and strength, together as one! Combination Arte, Ojamajo Rainbow Claw!"_

Before I could pick myself up, a large claw made of what seemed to be every color in existence thundered down and slashed fiercely at Gargos, blasting him right into hazy unconsciousness. Though I knew he'd be out of it really soon, even that momentary reprieve from it was welcome.

"Need some help, guys?" Aiko quipped as she and the other Ojamajos raced onto the scene, all decked out in their witch uniforms. Talk about arriving at the last second, huh?

"WHOA!" Doremi exclaimed, pointing at the Ifrit. "What is THAT?!"

"Long story short, Doremi-chan, we need help taking that thing down," I stated, finally able to stand up without falling right back down.

"We tried everything we could, but we can't seem to scratch that thing," Yuki admitted.

"Did you try Super Silhouette?" Onpu asked.

"Yeah, but it did bunk-all," I replied. "And I'm honestly out of options if our strongest attack didn't do squat..."

"Well, there is one thing we haven't tried," Hazuki stated.

My eyes went wide as I realized what Hazuki was talking about. I'm honestly not a fan of using that, because of how much magical energy I need to use it, and considering that I often can't hold the form for very long... well, I think you get the general idea.

"Are you sure, Hazuki-chan?" Yuki asked. "You know Nick-kun can't use it for very long, and if he loses it at the wrong time, we're all toast! Literally!"

"Hello?! That's what Magical Stage is for! We came here to give you guys a boost so you won't have to worry about losing it at a bad time!" Aiko quipped. "Seriously, you two..."

"We should probably hurry up and do it before freak boy over there wakes up from his nap," Yuki giggled.

With that, everyone drew their Koseki Porons and formed a circle around me and Yuki.

"_Pirika pirilala nobiyakani!"_ Doremi chanted.

"_Pipito purito pokarakani!"_ Poppu chanted.

"_Paipai ponpoi shinayakani!"_ Hazuki chanted.

"_Pameruku laruku takarakani!"_ Aiko chanted.

"_Pururun purun suzuyakani!"_ Onpu chanted.

"_Peruton petton sawayakani!"_ Momoko chanted.

"_MAGICAL STAGE! Give our friends the power to fight the Ifrit!"_

**("Open Your Heart" by Crush 40 plays)**

A sparkling ring of energy appeared around the two of us.

"Ooh, pretty!" Yuki giggled.

The energy ring surrounded both of us and constricted, eventually shattering and filling the square with a great burst of light.

When the light had cleared, me and my sister had transformed.

My hair had thickened and was standing up as if held there by the wind, and was glowing a bright golden yellow. My eyes had also shifted to a bright emerald green.

I looked over to my sister; she had changed as well. Her normally coal-black hair had become the same gold color that my own hair was, and had shortened to about her shoulders, but became spiky at the edges. Her eyes had also shifted from tree-brown to coal black.

This, my dear readers, is what I like to call my super form. I called on it for the first time during our final battle with Zanza about a year and a half ago. I sensed that Yuki was in trouble, and my magic reacted, transforming me into this form and allowing me to take the upper hand. While it didn't last very long at all, it lasted just long enough for me to destroy Zanza and save the day.

The Ifrit roared and stomped its feet onto the ocean, transforming the water into a bed of lava. Oh, so it wants to play rough, huh?

"All right, let's do this," I quipped.

"My thoughts exactly, onii-chan!" Yuki giggled, and so we flew off to confront the Ifrit.

Yes, I said _flew_. It's one of the many benefits of a super form: we can actually fly in this form, and we gain added defensive power, supercharged offenses, and the ability to not be affected by any kind of environmental hazards, like that lava. And, like I said, _we can freakin' fly._ The big downside to all of these advantages is that normally, I can't sustain this form for very long because it drains so much magical power. The longest I've ever held this form was, I think, fifteen minutes.

But enough about my analytics. We've got a fiery Godzilla to curbstomp.

We landed on the bed of lava just in time for the Ifrit to turn in our direction and swipe at us. We hopped over the slash and began flying around the Ifrit, searching for a weak spot for us to attack.

"See anything, sis?" I asked.

"Not yet, Nick-kun," Yuki replied. "This guy's rock-solid!"

As the Ifrit raised its hand to stomp on us, we dodged out of the way, and the Ifrit's foot created a wave in the lava bed that bounced me really high into the air.

When I was high enough, I caught a brief glimpse of an exposed brain before falling back down.

Ah, that'll do nicely.

"Yuki-chan, I think I found a spot to hit!" I shouted to my sister. "We gotta hit that thing's brain!"

"Acknowledged!" Yuki exclaimed. "Need a boost?"

"If you please," I replied. Sure, I could just fly up there and whack it, but if the Ifrit sees me, I'm in trouble. This way's quicker with less chance of getting counter-smacked.

I flew closer to Yuki so she could loop her arms around me and use her enhanced strength to literally toss me into the air, straight towards the Ifrit's brain.

Fire Godzilla only had time to turn towards me as I struck hard, sending a powerful flying kick into the Ifrit's brain and causing it to break up into large lava spheres that fell into the lava lake and reform into the Ifrit a good distance away.

Guess we did something right!

"YES!" Yuki exclaimed. "Score one for us!"

"Don't get cocky, sis!" I shouted. "It's not over yet!"

"Just saying, onii-chan!"

Yuki raised her hands towards the Ifrit and winked. _"The waves of my own feelings, take this! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!"_

A flurry of black-ish energy beams erupted from Yuki's hands, thundering through the air and pushing the Ifrit back a few feet. I easily saw what Yuki meant to do by this: she was aiming the attack at the Ifrit's chest so it would stumble and give me a perfect opportunity.

I decided to take advantage of that opportunity and charge forward, hopping off of my sister's shoulders and fly right towards the Ifrit.

It lifted its head a little, but I managed to catch the side of its forehead and vault up a bit so I was level with its brain.

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!"_ I shouted, firing a bright green energy blast straight downward into the brain. The Ifrit roared before breaking apart again and reforming a ways off.

"All right, this is actually working!" Yuki giggled. "I can't wait to see the look on Gargos' face when he sees his baby getting stomped!"

"Let's savor _that_ once we actually stomp this thing, okay?" I replied.

I shifted into fighting stance as the Ifrit stomped its way towards us.

"Lizard boy's probably gonna be on to us this time," I realized. "What do we do about this one?"

"I'll distract him," Yuki quipped. "When I give the signal, you smack him one!"

"Right," I stated.

Yuki flew off across the lava and began waving at the Ifrit, attempting to draw its attention away from me.

I waited as Yuki continued to dodge attack after attack from the Ifrit. I really hope this works, sis...

After a few more swipes, Yuki ducked and flashed me a thumbs up. All right, go time!

I dashed forward just as the Ifrit stomped onto the lava ground again, creating a wave that I used to bounce myself into the air and whack the Ifrit's brain with another flying kick, seemingly making it explode instead of collapsing into giant balls of lava.

"Did... did we do it?" Yuki wondered.

The Ifrit answered that for us by reforming right on the edge of the lava bed. It roared VERY loudly, signaling that it was officially pissed off. It also sprouted two extra pairs of arms. Way to step it up.

"That was only round one, Yuki-chan," I quipped. "We'd better stay on our toes..."

"Man, how many times do we need to whack this thing?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Guess all we can do is keep on whacking it until we break its neck or something," I stated. "At least we're getting somewhere."

"Let's hope it's over soon," Yuki replied. "I really wanna see Saiki-kun!"

I couldn't help but smile at my sister's mention of her boyfriend.

We both joined hands and flew towards the Ifrit, who was now using its extra arms to scoop up balls of lava from the lake and chuck them at us. We dodged around the projectiles, eventually using one as a kickspring to propel ourselves towards the Ifrit and strike its brain with a double flying kick, forcing it to break apart and reform at the other edge of the area. Yuki even got up close and personal at one point, using her super form-enhanced strength to literally gut punch the Ifrit and send it stumbling, giving me a perfect shot at the brain.

Three or four more brain hits later, it didn't seem like the Ifrit could take much more abuse. Hopefully this is gonna end soon before the city suffers any collateral damage. I wouldn't want that on my conscience...

"How much more, Nick-kun?" Yuki asked.

"How should I know?!" I shouted. "This thing doesn't have a tell!"

"Well, then, let's just keep on hitting it! It shouldn't be much longer!" Yuki quipped.

"Let's hope..." I stated.

Just then, the Ifrit reached over and tore a nearby building in half, and used its extra arms to throw it full velocity at us.

"Okay, that's just NOT FAIR, buddy!" Yuki shouted, echoing my exact thoughts. All right, time to step it up! I quickly dashed in front of Yuki, holding my arms out. Let's hope this works!

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!"_

A giant beam of emerald light erupted from my hands and thundered forward, severing the building clean in half and causing its pieces to fall to either side of us.

And what does the Ifrit do? It rips off ANOTHER building to throw at us! Seriously, why does my luck utterly SUCK?!

"Nick-kun, this thing's tearing up our beautiful city!" Yuki exclaimed.

"All right, that's about it! I've had enough of this!" I growled, charging forward with all the speed I could muster.

As the Ifrit threw the building at me, I brought out Nenshou Hikari, and just as the building was about to hit me, I slashed out with all the enhanced strength I could and sent the building flying back at the Ifrit, shattering on contact with its head and bending its head back at an unnatural angle.

"Yuki-chan, I think that's it! We've got our opportunity to finish this!" I shouted.

"Music to my ears, Nick-kun!" Yuki giggled, rushing over to join me.

The Ifrit roared in agony for a few seconds before collapsing onto the lava lake, down for the count.

"You ready, sis?" I asked.

"As ever, onii-chan! Let's send this thing packing for the Amazon!" Yuki proclaimed, joining hands with me.

A whirlwind of translucent energy began to surround us the instant we joined hands.

"_To the beings of hope..."_ Yuki chanted, black wind surrounding her free hand.

"_To the beings of spirit..."_ I continued, green wind surrounding my free hand.

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!"_ both of us chanted, letting our arms rest around each other while drawing our free hands back. The whirlwind surround us became more intense with each passing second.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!"_

We thrust our hands towards the Ifrit, unleashing two whirlwinds of our respective color that eventually joined into one gigantic cyclone that screamed through the sky and tore at the Ifrit, eventually causing it to disintegrate to nothingness.

I was seriously relieved to see all the damage caused by our battle fade as the Ifrit disappeared. Even the two buildings it had ripped apart to throw at us had returned as if nothing had even happened to it. The lava under us returned to just being an ocean, and the sky returned to the blue of the early afternoon.

All of a sudden, I felt myself revert to my normal self. Oh, swell.

Both Yuki and I fell into the water, popping up for air a couple seconds later.

"What a time for our transformation to run out, huh?" Yuki giggled.

"At least it didn't happen while we were fighting that thing," I quipped. "Come on, let's get back to shore."

I count myself REALLY lucky that this didn't happen last year, before I took a swimming class. I'd probably be REALLY screwed then.

When we got back to where the others were, I was surprised to still see Gargos lying unconscious on the ground. "He's still out?" I gasped.

"Not for long," Yuki quipped, walking forward and lashing her foot out to strike Gargos square in the chest. Really, sis? _Really?_

Gargos rolled across the ground a few times before picking himself up, clearly conscious now. "You brats will pay for that... I can have the Ifrit crush you to death, you know..."

"Take a look, asshole," I proclaimed. "Your precious pet is officially toast."

Gargos looked around in complete shock, indeed noticing that the Ifrit was gone. "What?! How did you worthless brats destroy the Ifrit?! He is supposed to be immortal!"

"Immortality's overrated if that's the best that thing could do," Yuki giggled.

"The ability to defeat even an immortal being... my lord was right," Gargos proclaimed. "You do possess the fragments of the divine power."

"All right, start talking, jerk!" I growled. "You and your goons have been yapping to no end about this divine power that Yuki-chan and I seem to possess. What's the deal with that?!"

"Never you mind, brat," Gargos shot back. "Don't think that this is over."

And with a wave of his hands, Gargos disappeared.

"'Divine power'?" Yuki wondered. "Is he out of his gourd?"

"I don't think I wanna know how his mind works," I quipped, just glad that jerk was gone.

"Yuki-chan, is everything all right?"

We all turned around at that voice. Oh, look who finally showed up.

"SAIKI-KUN!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing up to hug the boy. Readers, this is my sister's boyfriend, Saiki Shidoosha. Yeah, I was surprised as well when I met him. He and Akatsuki had just moved back to Misora a couple years ago after... 'things', let's call them. Neither of the brothers were too keen on explanations, so I just let it go. The day he came into our school and accidentally bumped into Yuki, she's been head over heels in love with him. And, well, it caused me a _lot_ of problems at first, because Yuki suddenly started spending all of her free time with Saiki, so much so that I thought she was going to forget what she'd said to me...

"_No matter who I fall in love with, there's no one I'll love more than my onii-chan!"_

Things happened, and because of this, I never really trusted Saiki at all until our final fight with Zanza. Remember how I said that I'd initially suspected Saiki of giving Yuki those bruises, before I found out it had been dad?

Yeah. Trust me, it wasn't pretty.

Now, the interesting thing about Saiki is that he wields dark power much like Yuki's. In this case, it's because he's a night elemental, a person who has absolute command over a certain element. They only show up as twins, which when you look at Akatsuki _and_ Saiki, it kinda makes sense.

As an elemental, Saiki's also got very keen senses, which can be both a blessing and a curse at certain points.

All in all, Saiki's an... _interesting_ person, shall we say.

"What brings you here, Saiki-kun dear?" Yuki giggled.

"I felt a strange dark energy," Saiki quipped. "What happened?"

"Oh, just the homewrecker again," Yuki responded. "He decided to sic a giant fire Godzilla on us, but Nick-kun and I took lizard boy down!"

Saiki just smiled. "You never cease to amaze me, Yuki-chan."

"Well, I'm free for the rest of the day. Did you want to go somewhere, Saiki-kun?" Yuki asked.

My smile faded a little at that. Now I'm honestly happy that Yuki's found someone, but I just can't help myself sometimes. Call it a downfall of my hardwired big brother instincts. I'm sure Akatsuki's the same way.

Yuki must have noticed that my smile had faded, because she turned back to face me.

"Nick-kun, are you getting upset again?" Yuki asked me.

"Geez, am I that easy to read?" I quipped.

"Nick-kun, remember, I'm your sister. I can read you from top to bottom."

Yuki walked over and hugged me, much to my surprise.

"I know you trust him now, but you don't need to worry, Nick-kun! Saiki-kun's not gonna steal me away from you!" Yuki stated. "I'll only let him do that when we get married, and that's gonna be a long ways from now!"

Saiki just sweatdropped, his expression reading _you're still going on about that?_ I can tell what he's thinking a good bit myself.

Yuki leaned up and kissed my forehead. "Remember, no matter who I fall in love with, there's no one I'll love more than you, onii-chan."

And just like that, I felt so much better, reaching out to return Yuki's hug. Have I mentioned that Yuki's really awesome at making people feel better?

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"Gargos failed. The Ifrit was defeated."

"I know this, Waltz."

"Would you have me terminate him?"

"No. I do not punish my subordinates for such minor failures."

"Minor? My lord, the Ifrit was..."

"Just a test. This incident has given me all the proof I need. These two children possess the fragments of the divine power, and we must work on seizing that power by any means necessary."

"Very well, my lord. I will begin the plans for our next attack."

"See that you do, Waltz."

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Whoa. That was weird.

I shook the cobwebs out of my head, still a little frazzled. What the heck was that all about?

"_The divine strength sleeps within the two, my lord. What must I do?"_

"_Whatever it takes. We must have the divine power."_

Figures that they'd still be yapping about the divine power. Question is, why am I hearing their babbling in my dreams now?

Ugh, this is really starting to confuse me.

I cast a glance at my brother; he was out like a light.

Funny thing is, he only went to sleep about an hour ago.

He stayed up _all freakin' night_ to watch a huge block of new anime that, for some reason, goes on until five in the morning! He could just record it (we've got DVR), but he says he doesn't want to do that. He wants to be a "faithful" and stay up all night to watch every little bit of it.

I looked outside, seeing the sun slowly rising.

Eh, I'll wake him up. Might be fun for a laugh.

I reached out to poke him in the side, only for him to turn around before I could even touch him and scare the living daylights out of me. Yeesh, Nick, don't surprise me like that!

"Scared you, didn't I?" Nick quipped.

"Seriously, onii-chan, why can I never see that coming?!" I exclaimed, waving my arms frantically.

"I'm just too good," Nick laughed.

Just then, I saw something in Nick's eyes. It looked like what I'd felt when I heard those jerks babbling in my dream. Did my brother have the same dream?

"Hey, Nick-kun, you heard a bunch of strange voices in your dreams, right?" I asked, just deciding to bite the bullet.

Nick gasped loudly at that.

"Huh? You, too, sis?"

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"The plan seems to be working, my lord," Waltz proclaimed. "The girl has seen the divine power in her dreams, and it will not be much longer before we are capable of taking it for ourselves."

"Are you sure that you can keep this up, Waltz?" the leader wondered. "You, of all people, should know that inception is a very precise art. We cannot afford to shatter their fragile minds before we are able to attain what is rightfully ours."

"No worries, my lord. I have practiced far in advance for this type of situation, and I will do my best not to shatter their minds... until we have the divine power, that is. Then, I will crush them like glass. Is that acceptable, my lord?"

"Do whatever you must, Waltz. I will prepare Gargos for the retrieval mission."

"Understood, my lord."

Waltz then walked out of the room.

"Do you really trust him, my lord? Waltz is clearly insane, so there is no telling what he may do if he is left to his own devices!"

"Patience, Gargos. I trust him to do what is best for the organization. Though I wish to know why you distrust him so, despite what he has done to you."

"I just don't like the way he works. The only reason I agreed to work with that son of a bitch in the first place is because you ordered me to, my lord. Your word is absolute, regardless of my personal feelings. That doesn't mean I'm not going to hate him for what he's done to me, though..."

"Just do not let it interfere with the mission, Gargos. Waltz is playing his part, and you must play your part. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

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"So, what did they say?" Nick asked as we walked to the MAHO-dou later that afternoon, holding hands as we always did.

"Well, just more yapping about the divine power that these goons seem to think we have," I quipped, gazing towards the MAHO-dou in the distance. I've been having those strange dreams for the past couple days now, and every one of them features those freaks from the Delegates of Darkness talking non-stop about this so-called 'divine power'. I don't know why they think we seem to possess it...

"This is pretty weird, huh?" Nick stated. "Why are they trying to infiltrate our dreams?"

"Wish I knew," I replied. "I know we've got at least above-average magical power, considering how we wiped the floor with that Ifrit thing the other day. But god-like power? Yeah, I find that a little hard to believe."

"I'm trying to imagine all the things we could do to them with that kind of power..." Nick quipped.

"Oh, that's just like you, onii-chan!" I giggled, playfully swatting Nick's shoulders. Yeah, my brother can be quite silly when he needs to be. It's one of the many reasons I love him so much.

"Hey, I'm just sayin'!" Nick exclaimed.

"That's so like you guys."

I turned around to make sure that voice matched the face.

Yep, it did.

"MORIKO-CHAN!" I shouted, rushing over to hug my friend Moriko Takahashi. I had met Moriko about a year and a half ago, right before our troubles with the Delegates of Darkness had started. Nick was going away for a couple days due to a class field trip, and needless to say, I freaked out. Luckily, the new girl in class, Moriko herself, offered to stay with me for those two or three days. Over that time, we quickly became fast friends. Moriko's the kind of girl who can be sweet and tender one time, and violent and aggressive the next. Basically, you don't want to mess with her.

"So, what's up with you?" Nick asked.

"Oh, just coming home from the greenhouse," Moriko stated. Her family owns a local greenhouse that, in my honest opinion, has some of the prettiest flowers I have _ever_ seen in my _life_. I've gone there a good few times to get flowers for Saiki! "Bit of a slow day today, considering the weather."

"Just keep it up, Mori-chan," Nick quipped. Okay, that right there? That nickname is a nickname that Moriko, for some reason, _really_ hates. And yet, Moriko always says that Nick is the only one who's allowed to call her that. I was pretty confused for a while, but I think I worked it out: Moriko's got a bit of a crush on Nick, and that's why she lets him call her that. Which in itself is a little weird, considering how much Moriko spends time with Akemi. I swear, those two are practically joined at the hip for all the time they spend together!

Makes me wonder, actually... it seems like those two might have a crush on each other... I wonder if I'll be able to play my role of the 'love doctor' anytime soon...

"So, what are my favorite fighting siblings up to?" Moriko giggled. "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

"Ugh... I seriously think it's a curse," Nick groaned, knowing what Moriko meant by that.

"We're actually on our way to the Twin Bells for magic practice!" I stated.

"Good to know," Moriko stated. "Nick-kun, can I speak to you in private for a second?"

Nick just nodded as Moriko led him away to a private spot.

Have I mentioned that Moriko's a little quirky?

"What's up, Mori-chan?" Nick asked.

Moriko reduced her voice to a whisper. "Listen carefully, Nick-kun. I know you're still fighting those annoyances. And I do know they're after a special power. So I'm telling you this right now, mister... don't you dare break her heart."

"W-wh-what?!" Nick exclaimed. "You know I would never do something like that!"

"Not intentionally, you wouldn't," Moriko responded. "I may have only known you for a year and a half, but I know you well enough, Nick-kun. That's why I'm warning you now. Don't get into any trouble that would break her heart, got it?"

Nick just nodded, not really understanding why Moriko had said that.

"I'll let you two get to magic practice now, okay? Just remember what I said, and I won't have to hurt you for hurting her feelings," Moriko quipped.

Nick stood there as Moriko walked off, still a bit weirded out.

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"Jeez, Yuki-chan, that's like, what, the seventh time you've yawned today?" Doremi quipped as I let out yet another yawn. These weird dreams are really wearing me out. "Did you not get enough sleep?"

"Have you been staying up all night, Yuki-chan?" Onpu asked.

"No, my brother's guilty of that," I giggled.

"Hey, I've been watching it non-stop ever since it came to Japan!" Nick shot back. "No way am I stopping my support of it now!"

"Honestly, Kelly-kun, you're nuts, staying up that late..." Aiko groaned.

"Well, to be fair, Ai-chan, it does help ratings if people actually watch the show when they're on and not just record it to watch later..." Hazuki admitted.

"And they've actually got some good stuff on there," Momoko admitted. "I watched it one night and they've got some cool new shows."

"Honestly, guys, I'm actually exhausted because I've been having these strange dreams lately," I explained. "Those freaks keep going into my dreams and blabbing on and on about the divine power they won't seem to shut up about."

"'Divine power'?" Doremi quipped. "What the heck is that?"

"Heck if I know," Nick replied. "All we know is that these guys seem to think we possess it, and _they won't frickin' shut up about it_. Honestly, it's driving me nuts."

"Well, you two _are_ pretty strong, considering how you stomped that Ifrit thing," Poppu stated.

"But that doesn't amount to the power of a god!" Nick shouted. "I seriously think they're out of their minds."

"Maybe they're just tryin' to psych you guys out?" Aiko wondered. "I wouldn't put it past freaks like them to try such an underhanded tactic..."

"Oh, believe me, they've done far worse," Nick stated.

Before I could respond to that, I suddenly felt dizzy. Oh, no, not again...

"Yuki-chan, you okay?" Doremi asked.

"Ugh... so... so sleepy..." I gasped.

"Okay, I've had enough of this nonsense," Nick stated. "I'm coming with you this time, sis. Maybe we'll get somewhere."

Nick reached out and took my hand, pulling me close to him as my vision left me.

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_When I opened my eyes, I was back there again; the strange, purple-and-blue landscape that I found myself in every time this happened. Seriously, this is getting really, really old, people!_

"_There is no escape from your destiny, girl."_

_I walked forward, and sure enough, floating in the air just ahead of me was a strange crystal-like object with two wings, one white and one black._

"_What the heck is that?"_

_Okay, that wasn't in my dream last time. I turned around and there was Nick, staring at the crystal._

"_Nick-kun? You're in my dream this time?" I wondered._

"_Yeah. I figured I'd pop in and see if I could help you make sense of this," Nick explained. "And also because I'd like these a-holes to get out of our dreams and stay out."_

_I looked back at the strange crystal that I've been seeing. "I think this crystal thing is the divine power, but I'm not completely sure..."_

_Nick took a few steps forward, then reached out to touch it, almost immediately getting tossed backwards._

"_Okay, that wasn't nice!" Nick exclaimed._

"_Let me try," I replied, slowly reaching out to touch the crystal. Surprisingly, I didn't get thrown back. In fact, the crystal absorbed itself into my body._

_Weird thing is, I didn't feel any different after that. If what I'm thinking is right, that this crystal is a physical representation of the divine power I've heard so much about (note the sarcasm there), I kinda thought it'd make me super strong or something._

_Maybe it's something that only shows up when I need it?_

"_You seem to be catching on, brat."_

_I wasted no time in drawing Tobiume just as our uninvited guest showed up._

"_Listen, you," I proclaimed, aiming Tobiume right at Gargos' neck. I may be a girl, but I'm not above going for the weak spots when I need to! "Only Saiki-kun's allowed to go into my dreams when I'm sleeping, so I'm only going to ask you once to get out of my sleepy head before I make you!"_

"_But don't you see?" Gargos shot back. "You possess the power we have been searching for all these decades."_

"_You seriously made a giant organization of jerkoffs just to take my power?" I groaned. Seriously, can these freaks ever come up with anything original?! "Have you lost it since we destroyed Zanza?!"_

"_I would think that we have gained a valuable asset in our crusades," Gargos continued. "Now hand over the divine power and I will let you off easy."_

"_Fat chance, jerk!" I shouted, spinning Tobiume in my hands._

"_Not this time!" Gargos proclaimed, dashing straight for me._

"_DIAMOND TEMPEST!" Nick shouted, summoning Nenshou Hikari and swinging it towards Gargos, unleashing a wave of pure light that paralyzed him._

"_My turn, onii-chan! Let me have a crack at him this time!" I stated, and Nick stood back to let me charge up my own attack._

_I held Tobiume into the air like a staff, and golden energy began to swirl around me._

"_Light be thy sustenance and destroy the enemy!" I chanted. "Mystic Arte, Sacred Shine!"_

_I slammed Tobiume down to the ground and this created an expanding dome of golden energy that thundered out and slammed Gargos head-first into the ground._

_Yeah, I hope that hurt, jerk! That's what you get for trying to hurt a pretty girl like me!_

"_Let's finish him off, onii-chan," I giggled, reaching out to Nick._

"_You read my mind, sis," Nick quipped, taking my hand._

_A whirlwind of translucent energy began to surround us the instant we joined hands._

"_To the beings of hope..."__ I chanted, black wind surrounding my free hand._

"_To the beings of spirit..."__ Nick continued, green wind surrounding his free hand._

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!"__ both of us chanted, letting our arms rest around each other while drawing our free hands back. The whirlwind surround us became more intense with each passing second._

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!"_

_We thrust our hands towards Gargos, unleashing two whirlwinds of our respective color that eventually joined into one gigantic cyclone that tore at Gargos and sent him flying one last time._

"_Now get out of my dreams and STAY OUT!" I shouted to the retreating Gargos._

"_Good riddance to that blabbermouth," Nick stated. "Now, how about we get out of here, sis? This weird background is starting to creep me out."_

_I just nodded, taking my brother's hands again and closing my eyes._

When I could see again, Nick and I were lying on a cot in the back room, our hands still joined. The others were all seated in a circle around us, obviously watching over us to make sure nothing happened. I personally don't believe that stupid rumor that if you die in your dreams, you die for real, but I guess the girls didn't want to take that chance.

"Are you two okay?" Doremi asked. "You really scared us, the way you just fainted like that..."

"Did you have another dream about the divine power?" Onpu wondered.

"Yeah, and we met the homewrecker in there," I explained. "We sent him packing, and I think I actually have this divine power now."

"Can you show us what it does, Yuki-mama? Hana-chan wants to see some cool magic!" Hana giggled.

"I don't think it works like that, Hana-chan," Nick replied. "I'm guessing it'll only start making appearances when Yuki actually needs the power."

"And when I start using it, you'd better watch out, evildoers, because Shinoya Yuki has a shocking surprise for you!" I proclaimed heroically, striking a pose that made Nick sweatdrop. "What? A little too flamboyant?"

"You've been watching Battle Rangers again, haven't you?" Nick quipped, to which I just started laughing.

Ah, it's moments like this that make life worth living. What more could you ask for, really?

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"He failed, my lord."

"Don't start condescending to me, Waltz, because I'll make you wish you were never born!"

"Oh, why don't you go and shut your trap before I shut it for you?!"

"ENOUGH!" the leader shouted. "There will be no infighting among my subordinates. I do not even see a reason for you to be at each other's throats. The plan has worked perfectly."

"How is that possible, my lord?" Waltz asked. "Gargos couldn't keep going into their dreams, and now the girl and boy will be on to us if we try it again!"

"It is all right," the leader proclaimed. "Everything has gone according to plan. Even Gargos' expulsion from their dreams was part of the plan. Now that the girl has acquired the divine power, I know exactly how we can go about taking it for ourselves. Gargos, Waltz, you will need to work with each other one more time in order for this to work."

"Fine," Gargos proclaimed. "Your will is absolute, my lord."

"Are you two ready?" the leader proclaimed.

"Of course, my lord," Gargos replied.

"Are you sure this is even going to work?" Waltz proclaimed. "Those brats are surprisingly strong. I wouldn't be surprised if this fails, too."

"You'd just love to pin _every_ failure on me, wouldn't you, Waltz?!" Gargos growled, shaking his fist at Waltz. "It's the brats' fault! With the power they possess, they have set us back at almost every turn!"

"Sure, go ahead and justify your pathetic losses, buddy," Waltz taunted. "You know it won't help."

"You know, I'm getting really sick of your attitude, Waltz!" Gargos shouted. "You and your high-and-mighty tone is really starting to grate on my last nerve!"

"Then why did you even decide to work with me if you hate me that much?" Waltz asked.

"Because my lord's orders are absolute!" Gargos shot back. "If I had my way, I'd rip your freakin' heart out in a second!"

"I dare you to try it," Waltz sneered. "Last time you tried to fight me, I beat you to within an inch of your pathetic life."

"Why, you-"

"Enough, both of you. Petty infighting will not be tolerated. Just play your parts and there will be no worries."

Waltz smirked viciously at Gargos, who was shaking with pure, unadulterated rage.

"Is everything going smoothly at the new base?"

"Yes, my lord," Gargos proclaimed. "Storm Station is well ahead of schedule."

"If I may, my lord, why build such a station?" Waltz asked.

"All in due time, Waltz. Now, you must proceed with your mission. Do not fail me."

"Yes, my lord."

Gargos didn't miss the smirk on Waltz's face, clenching his fists tightly.

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"Any luck, sis?" I asked. Yuki was still trying to find ways to summon the divine power she'd acquired through a rather trippy... well, trip into the dream world to stop the Delegates of Darkness from playing inception with our minds.

"Nothing," Yuki quipped, sighing in defeat. "I've tried everything I could think of! I guess I really can't summon it unless I really need it..."

"Maybe it something that'll only surface in a crisis?" I wondered.

"I hope not, because I wouldn't want to have something like that on my conscience!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Well, at least we sent those freaks running," I stated, "so we've got some time on our hands to figure this out."

Just then, I heard a knock at our door. Isn't it weird, that I think of this admittedly fancy hotel room as 'home' now?

Then again, there isn't anything left for us at our own home, so...

I walked up to open the door, and who else but Akemi Suzuki was standing there.

"AKEMI-CHAN!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing up to hug Akemi.

"N-nice to see you, too, Yuki-chan," Akemi replied. This was one of Moriko's friends, a girl who I'm convinced that Moriko has a big crush on. Akemi is very shy and delicate, and can start crying at even the slightest provocation, but she won't hesitate to stand up for the people she cares about. I've seen her actually do some damage when we fought Zanza way back when.

"What brings you to our new abode?" Yuki giggled.

"I heard from the others what happened," Akemi replied. She wasn't as 'in the loop' as Moriko was about our endeavors against the Delegates of Darkness. "That must be hard, having to go through something like that..."

"No worries. Nick-kun hasn't broken his promise to me yet," Yuki giggled.

If my focus hadn't been on Akemi, I would have noticed Gargos floating right outside our window.

"But he will, little brat... soon enough..."

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"The divine power?" Majorika asked. We were now at the Twin Bells MAHO-dou for our daily magic practice, and we decided to tell Majorika about the divine power in hopes of getting some useful background information. "I didn't think it actually existed..."

"Majorika, what do you know about this?" I quipped, hoping to get her to spill the beans.

"I thought it was just a legend at first," Majorika admitted. "But, when I was a lot younger, the queen told me about a strange power that apparently had come from an odd union of two worlds. It was apparently a marriage between a light-magic-wielding witch and a human who practiced dark magic. When they married, they had a son who was immensely strong for his age, due to the unity of his parent's powers. The Majokai had never seen such a union before, and they named this strength the 'divine power', due to the mixture of light and darkness that was thought to be a gift from the gods. Nobody knows what happened to the boy after Majotourbillon's curse spread through the Majokai, but we all just assumed he fell into a never-ending sleep as well. Apparently, when he fell to sleep, the boy's power left him and began roaming through the worlds."

"Well, if it kept roaming, why did it choose me to have it?" Yuki asked. "I never even heard of this power until the freak boys started yapping about it!"

"It must have sensed the darkness pervading the land because of the Delegates of Darkness," Majorika replied. "It must know that you're trying to stop them."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on just a cotton-pickin' second!" Aiko exclaimed. "You're saying this divine power thing has a will?!"

"Unfortunately, that's all I know about the legend," Majorika admitted. "Everything else regarding the divine power was lost after Majotourbillon placed her curse on the Majokai."

"Wow, that's freaky," Doremi stated. "And believe me, I've seen a lot of freaky stuff over the years..."

"And I guess that means we need to stay on our toes," I realized. "Those freaks will probably be coming after us even more now."

"I'd like to see them try," Yuki quipped. "Once I master this power thingy, they're gonna regret ever messing with us!"

That's just like my sister. She's always acting brave and heroic, even during all of the trouble we've been through. The two of us are alike in a lot more ways than people think.

Later on, Yuki and I were in the garden out back, tending to the many magical flowers that Majorika kept. I was often wary of being out here, mainly due to a strange encounter we had about two years ago where a Nightmare Armor possessed this entire flower garden and turned it into a gigantic beast. Yeah, not exactly a memory I want to stick around.

"It's so nice out here, isn't it?" Yuki sighed, watering a Witch Queen Heart.

"As long as the garden doesn't try to kill us again, I'll be all right," I responded immediately.

Yuki looked up, then suddenly gasped loudly.

"Nick-kun, you're not going to believe this," Yuki stated before I could cut in. "Look."

Yuki pointed towards the massive tower that could easily be seen from anywhere in the city. This, my fellow readers, is a Misora monument, the Skywhirl Tower. It's a giant, Eiffel Tower-like place (though nowhere near as big as the Eiffel Tower) that's a very popular tourist attraction.

So what was the problem here?

Simple. There was a very large mechanical construct attached to the Skywhirl Tower, something that obviously didn't belong there. And I think I know who's responsible.

"What the heck is THAT thing?!" I shouted.

"It doesn't look like any secret base I've ever seen," Yuki replied. "All I'm sure of is that it must belong to the freak shows."

"Just what are they planning?" I wondered.

"Something very destructive when it concerns this wretched place you call a city."

We both spun around, our weapons drawn, and sure enough, there was Gargos. Honestly, can we not catch a break?!

"What are YOU doing here, jerk?! We have magic practice to get through, so if you'd kindly leave before we kick your face in, we can actually get something done!" Yuki shouted.

"Yeah, I've got my level three exam coming up, and I need practice for it! I don't want to spend all of my remaining time messing around with you!" I growled. "So you'd better explain what you're doing here AND what's up with that thing on the Skywhirl Tower!"

Gargos, to my dismay, simply laughed. Have I mentioned that this guy pisses me off to no end?

"The Storm Station is nothing that concerns you, little boy," Gargos proclaimed. "But as to why I'm here, I am here to collect something that rightfully belongs to us."

Before we could even make a move to strike, Gargos raised his hands and created a dark sphere of energy.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting that thing to expand and cover us in darkness.

When I was able to see again, I noticed that we weren't at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou anymore. Instead, we were in a strange place that seemed to only be one large floating platform the size of a football field in an abyss of purple light and blue stars.

Okay, I'm officially confused.

"All right, Gargos, what's the big idea dragging us into some alternate dimension?!" I shouted, readying my weapon.

"Simple, little brat. This is Parallel's Playground, a sort of execution ground where we 'take care' of those who oppose the Delegates of Darkness," Gargos explained. "This dimension shall be your grave, and we will rip the divine power from your mangled corpse by the time we are finished here."

"Don't bet on it, you son of a bitch!" I growled, leaping forward to attack, only to get slammed back down to the ground by something else.

When I looked up, someone else had joined the fray.

"Okay, who are YOU?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"I am Gargos' partner, Black Waltz Three," the mystery character stated. "But you can just call me Waltz, kiddies."

"Waltz and I go... way back, shall we say," Gargos stated. I definitely noticed the angry inflection in his voice. Something tells me that Gargos doesn't particularly like this guy. "Our lord has assigned us with the task of retrieving the divine power from its vessel."

"You're STILL blabbing about that?!" Yuki shouted. "I told you weirdos that you can't have it! It's not nice to just proposition a pretty lady and expect her to go along with whatever perversions you're throwing my way!"

"Oh, I'm afraid we're not asking nicely, sweetcakes," Waltz proclaimed. "We have been ordered to take the divine power... _by any means necessary._"

"You know what, I'm sick of this nonsense," I quipped. "I've had about all I can stand. Yuki-chan, let's take 'em out!"

"Exactly what I was thinking, onii-chan!" Yuki replied, and we both charged.

"Let me handle this, buddy," Waltz stated.

"So, new kid steps up to get taken down first, huh?" Yuki giggled, holding out Tobiume, its blade glowing with a bright blue light.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki shouted, swinging her weapon in an arc that sent out a wave of lightning blasts, enough to stun Waltz in his spot.

"_Mystic Arte! Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, this time performing an overhead slash that created a giant black-and-blue energy crescent to slash at Waltz.

To both of our surprises, the attack hadn't done a single lick of damage.

"Wha-what the hell?!" Yuki exclaimed. "That should have at least done something!"

"So the girl fails," Waltz sneered. "Would the boy like to try?"

"Don't count your chickens just yet, weirdo," I shot back, rushing at Waltz.

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at Waltz with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at Waltz on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte! Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Waltz's head.

It shocked me to see that I hadn't done any damage either. Man, what's up with this guy?!

"And the boy failed as well," Waltz laughed. "Would you both like to try your hand?"

"All right, this is getting out of hand," I stated. "Yuki-chan, let's step it up."

Yuki nodded, joining hands with me.

A whirlwind of translucent energy began to surround us the instant we joined hands.

"_To the beings of hope..."_ Yuki chanted, black wind surrounding her free hand.

"_To the beings of spirit..."_ I continued, green wind surrounding my free hand.

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!"_ both of us chanted, letting our arms rest around each other while drawing our free hands back. The whirlwind surround us became more intense with each passing second.

Gargos attempted to charge at us, but Waltz simply held him back.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!"_

We thrust our hands towards Waltz, unleashing two whirlwinds of our respective color that eventually joined into one gigantic cyclone that screamed through the air straight at Waltz.

But instead of lacerating him as I expected, Waltz simply absorbed the whirlwind and fired it back at us. It took a really fast dodge roll for us to avoid getting hit by our own move.

"Jeez, is this guy for real?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"And that is all I need to know," Waltz proclaimed. "Gargos, I'm going to do 'it'."

"Just don't get yourself killed," Gargos shot back.

"I could say the same to you," Waltz replied, clenching his fists and concentrating.

I kept a tight grip on my weapon, ready for whatever Waltz was going to pull.

I definitely didn't expect him to grow to the size of a skyscraper and cover himself in a thick rock armor, making him look like one of the Greek titans.

All right, now I'm scared. Not that I'm gonna let it show on my face, though.

"Oh, my god, that thing is HUGE!" Yuki shouted. "Nick-kun, what do we do?!"

"Only one thing we _can_ do," I responded. "We go Super Silhouette and at least try to get out of this with a parting shot."

We brought out our Spiritual Phones and began concentrating with all our might. Magical energy began to surround us in droves as we called upon our most powerful transformations.

The magical energy surrounding us concentrated around our bodies, transforming our outfits into something that resembled the Royal Patraine outfits that Doremi and her friends had used a few years back. My forehead was now adorned with a green crown, while Yuki was now wearing a black tiara. To complete the ensemble, the remaining magical energy around us formed into a star shape on my back, and a heart shape on Yuki's back. Even better, a pair of glowing angel wings sprouted from our back.

Yuki and I clapped our hands together twice, forming glittering earrings on our ears.

"_The Super Silhouette of Love, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki chanted.

"_The Super Silhouette of Bravery, Kelly-chi!"_ I chanted.

"_O pitiful shadow lost in the darkness..."_ Yuki chanted, joining hands with me.

"_O evil spirit born of those drifting between heaven and earth..."_ I chanted as we raised our joined hands, magical energy spiraling out from our wrists and forming a large magical vortex in front of us.

"_May the thunderous power of these holy, delicate souls strike down upon you with great vengeance and furious anger!"_ Yuki shouted, the heart sprouting from her back beginning to shine and feed more energy into the vortex.

"_May the holy light shining from the protectors of this world shatter your loathsome impurity and return you from whence you came!"_ I shouted, the star sprouting from my back feeding more energy into the magical vortex until it was larger than both of us combined.

Yuki and I drew our free hands back, ready to unleash our ultimate combination attack.

"_Double Ojamajo Orchestral Silhouette!"_ we both shouted, thrusting our free hands into the magical vortex, which immediately erupted into a truly immense cylinder of rainbow-colored energy that thundered through the air and struck the giant Waltz with all the force of a runaway freight train, exploding into a spectacular aurora that illuminated this strange dimension.

By the time we'd reverted back to normal in our exhaustion and the flash cleared completely, I started to fear for my life.

Why? Our attack didn't even scratch that behemoth!

"That didn't work?!" Yuki gasped, still catching her breath. "Man, Super Silhouette isn't doing crap for us..."

"What did I tell you?" the giant Waltz bellowed. "I am in a league of my own. You simply did not stand a chance against me."

"Waltz, as much as I enjoy tormenting them, we have a job to do, remember?" Gargos proclaimed.

"But of course," Waltz stated, raising his giant foot.

Oh, crap.

"See you in hell, little boy!"

Waltz's gigantic foot came thundering down on top of me, but I willed enough strength to my arms to raise my wand.

"_Asobu soba de sakiyaki sore! Shield NOW, please!"_

(Yuki's P.O.V.)

I couldn't do much else but watch as my brother just barely got his shield up in time to stop Waltz's massive foot from crushing him.

The problem is, Nick didn't seem like he could hold the shield for very long.

That settles it. I've gotta get over there and help Nick out!

But just as I regained enough strength to actually do that, Gargos dashed over and punched me right in the stomach, forcing me to stumble back and lose a good deal of the energy I'd just gotten back. You're an ass, dude, you know that?

I stood there, trying to regain my strength again, and watched as Nick managed to force Waltz's foot away a bit.

Come on, big brother, keep going!

"It's hopeless, brat! There's nothing you can do!" Waltz proclaimed...

...and then Waltz applied more pressure, and Nick's shield was destroyed.

When Waltz's foot came down on Nick, I felt my heart shatter in my chest.

When Waltz lifted his foot, there was no sign of my big brother. I couldn't sense his aura anymore, either.

That could only mean...

...no. Oh, god, _no..._

I barely even noticed Waltz returning to his normal self and size, smirking like the bastard he is. "Poor kid. He tried so hard, but in the end, he fell to my superior power," Waltz taunted.

I just stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened. After a few seconds, it finally hit me.

Nick was gone.

My big brother... was dead.

All I could do was fall to my knees and start crying.

I... I can't believe this is happening...

This can't be real... can it?

"_Onii-chan, don't leave me!"_

"_Sis, I'm only going away for a week. A week isn't forever, silly."_

"_I don't care! I don't want you to leave me!"_

"_Really, sis. I'm not gonna be away forever. I promise."_

"_But... onii-chan, you said you would never leave me!"_

"_In that case, let's make another promise, okay? I promise, sis, no matter how far apart we are, I'll never leave you."_

"_...you mean it, onii-chan?"_

"_Of course. You know I don't break my promises."_

"_Promise me?"_

"_I promise."_

I still didn't want to accept what had just happened.

Life is cruel that way, huh?

I only had enough strength to stare at the spot where Nick had been, tears continuing to stream from my eyes at the sight I had just witnessed.

The most precious person in my life... is gone...

I know Saiki might try to fill that gap for me, but not even he could fill a hole in my heart like this...

I felt like my heart was breaking in two all over again...

Someone had once said to me that I wouldn't know true pain until I'd been hit with heartbreak...

Maybe that's what this is...

This felt a thousand times worse than the pain I suffered when my father started abusing me...

And... I... I just...

"Well, that was surprisingly satisfying," Gargos stated. "I never thought sending that boy to hell would be so fun."

"You actually approve of my methods for once?" Waltz asked. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Mind you, I still don't like you at all, but that was one hell of a way to kill someone, Waltz."

"I know, right?"

"S-shut up..." I squeaked, though they didn't seem to hear me. I don't want them to start tormenting me as well! Don't these bastards think I've suffered enough?!

"I often question your motives, but that was something I'm glad I didn't," Gargos proclaimed. "That was wonderful!"

"Glad to see you're agreeing with me for once, _partner_," Waltz replied.

"Shut up..." I stated again, though I was still being ignored.

"And look at her," Waltz taunted, directing his attention at me. "She's in tears! I didn't think it'd be so easy to break her heart!"

"I said shut up," I growled, being a little more forceful this time.

"All this time, I've searched for the best way to acquire the power she holds, but I never thought this would be the way to do it!"

That's it. I've officially had enough of this!

I suddenly felt something within my body, as if I'd unlocked a gate to a brand new source of power. Happily accepting this new power, I subconsciously embraced it and let the power cycle through my body.

"What a worthless little brat, crying like a bawling baby over something like death," Waltz taunted.

"I SAID SHUT YOUR FAT, STUPID MOUTH!" I screamed, a powerful wave of magical pressure pushing Gargos and Waltz back. As my newfound power flowed through every inch of my body, I felt two glowing angel wings unfurl from my back, one black as night and the other white as day.

Now things are about to get serious. They want to tear my heart to shreds? Oh, they're going to see what happens when you break my heart!

"It's... it's awakening..." Gargos gasped, and I was sure as hell pleased to hear the definite note of panic in his voice. "The divine power has surfaced..."

"This is what you wanted, RIGHT?!" I shouted, my entire body glowing with a bright aura. I could still see perfectly even through the tears that were still falling. "This is the power you wanted so badly that you had to slaughter the most precious person in my life?!"

"Yes, my dear brat," Waltz proclaimed, completely unfazed by my sudden and unexpected transformation. "This is the fabled power the Delegates of Darkness have been searching for all these millennia. We just needed to do something to trigger its awakening."

"Well, then, I think it's time I used this power and taught you a lesson!" I shrieked, my fists clenching so tightly it hurt. "Nick-kun was the most precious person to me! You had NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to take him away from me!"

"Spare me your pitiful ideals," Waltz shot back. "I do not care for such petty attachments. Emotional connections only make you weak."

"Then you obviously don't understand the connection Nick-kun and I share, you son of a bitch!" I shouted, reminiscing on all of my memories with Nick. "Nick-kun's been with me ever since I was born! He's been my confidante and the most wonderful brother I could ever ask for! There's no one in this world that I love more than Nick-kun, and you're going to experience first-hand what kind of hell I can put you through when you take him away from me, you heartless monster!"

I threw my hands to my sides, my body glowing bright enough to illuminate the void around me. "For Nick-kun... I will do _anything!_"

"Waltz, we must assume a tactical retreat!" Gargos shouted. "We cannot possibly hope to win against such a power now that she's awakened it!"

"Don't tell me you're chickening out after we've come so far?!" Waltz shot back. "This is our perfect opportunity to extract the divine power!"

"Look at her! She's fully awakened the divine power and reined it under her control! We will be ripped to shreds if she strikes before we can retreat!"

"Fine, _you_ go ahead and fall back like a coward if you want," Waltz proclaimed, readying himself for a fight. "As for me, _I'm_ going to perform the task my lord ordered me to perform and take the power from this little brat by force!"

I shifted into a fighting stance. "Fine, then! Come at me and see just what you've awakened with your horrible acts!" I screamed.

Waltz simply sneered. "Gladly."

The psychopath bum-rushed me, abandoning all pretenses of planning, but I easily sidestepped the strike and brought my hand down hard on his elbow, savoring every moment of the screams of agony he bellowed when his arm shattered. He wants to inflict pain and suffering on me?! Well, then, I'll give it all back tenfold, you monster!

"What?! How is this possible?!" Waltz bellowed. "You couldn't even scratch me before!"

"You must not be very smart if you _still_ can't see what your actions have awakened!" I growled. "You made the wrong choice in breaking my heart, buddy!"

"You think that divine power or not, I'd be scared of a brat like you?!" Waltz shouted. Well, you should be, because you're going to regret saying that!

"Come at me, then," I stated plain and simple, waving my hand in a 'bring it' motion.

This seemed to be enough to bait him into attacking, as he bellowed in pure rage and charged at me again. I did a step vault over his head, my wings keeping me aloft, and charged up an attack of my own.

"_The waves of my own feelings, take this! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!"_ I chanted, unleashing a flurry of twilight energy bursts that hammered at Waltz and caused some serious damage.

This is extremely satisfying watching that jerk who we couldn't even scratch before actually start to crumble under my assault. I hope you're happy with what you've unleashed, you monster!

"Had enough?!" I shouted.

"Never!" Waltz proclaimed. Man, he's more stubborn than big brother was. "I will take that power or die trying!"

"If that's the way you want it!" I shot back, bringing out my wand. _"Snap, Tobiume!"_

Once Tobiume was clutched in my hands, I aimed it at Waltz. "This is your last chance! Get out of my face now and maybe I'll just maul you instead of killing you!"

Waltz just stood there, preparing for my attack. Didn't think so.

"All right, then, it's your funeral!" I proclaimed, floating into the air and flying (actually flying!) towards Waltz.

He tried to duck under my incoming attack, but I just dipped low and slashed at his knees, forcing him to the ground. I then thrust Tobiume forward and pierced into his broken arm, relishing every seconds of his agonizing bellows.

Finally, deciding to just put an end to it, I spun Tobiume in my hands and slammed it straight forward, piercing right through Waltz's chest.

Not content with just that, I focused my magical power into Tobiume's blade and performed its signature move, covering the area in a bright pink flash. Once everything was clear, Waltz was gone.

Satisfied that I'd obliterated the monster who killed my brother, I quickly realized that I had someone else to deal with. I turned to face Gargos, still happy to see panic and fear flickering across his face.

"Yeah, your _partner_ is officially swiss toast, Gargos," I growled. "You wanna be next?!"

Gargos took a few steps back out of terror, but quickly steeled himself. "I assure you, this is not over."

"You said that last time!" I screamed. "You really think I'm going to let you get away _again_?!"

I immediately rushed at Gargos to try and slice him in half, but unfortunately, he vanished before I could attack.

Well, fine, then.

I instinctively snapped my fingers and warped out of Parallel's Playground, appearing exactly where we'd been abducted earlier.

Man, how was I going to explain this to the girls?

Hell, how was I going to explain it to _mom?!_

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Gargos reappeared on top of the under-construction Storm Station, the gigantic structure that had been built around Skywhirl Tower, musing over recent events.

"Good riddance to that blabbermouth, I say," Gargos growled. "But the girl... I never thought she would awaken the divine power so easily... this calls for a new strategy."

Gargos turned around and gazed at the Storm Station. "When this is completed, we can truly begin our search for the energy."

_Gargos, what is going on down there?_

"M-master!" Gargos exclaimed, surprised by the sudden telepathic voice that rang out in his head. "My lord, I apologize for not contacting you sooner. We ran into an, um... unfortunate setback."

_You did not acquire the divine power?_

"The girl awakened it before we could get our hands on it," Gargos explained. "Waltz did not make it, however. He was killed by the girl once the power had awakened. You aren't angry with me, are you?"

_It is only an unfortunate setback. We still have ways to acquire the divine power._

"But I do have some good news, master. Before Waltz's 'unfortunate' passing, he managed to kill the boy."

_I assume it was this act that triggered the divine power's awakening._

"Yes, my lord. The girl bawled on and on about emotional connections and useless crap."

_The divine power reacts favorably to emotions. It must have sensed her extreme distress and awakened in order to protect her._

"So that is why."

_Where are you now, Gargos?_

"I'm on Storm Station. I managed to assume a tactical retreat before the girl could slaughter me as well."

_Check in on the progress of construction and return to base, Gargos. We will devise a new plan upon your return._

"Acknowledged, my lord."

Gargos took a few steps forward, watching the many workers who were putting the immense mechanical base together.

"Setback after setback... those two have been a thorn in our side for far too long," Gargos stated to nobody in particular. "Well, I guess that as long as that stupid boy is dead, things will be a little easier on us."

"And I assume 'that stupid boy' would be me?"

I couldn't help but laugh inwardly when Gargos turned around and set his shocked gaze on me. Yeah, I've seen that face a lot of times.

"Yo," I quipped.

"How... what... boy, how in the holy hell are you still alive?!" Gargos proclaimed. "I saw Waltz crush you with my own two eyes!"

"Your partner wasn't very smart, then," I replied, bringing out my wand. "Let's just leave it at that. _Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!_"

Once my weapon was ready, I shifted into a fighting stance. "All right, Gargos, let's see if my sister weakened you enough for me to fight. I assume you were quite terrified with what she awakened."

"None of your damn business!" Gargos shot back, blindly rushing me.

See, I was right. He was scared to death of what he saw my sister do, and so he's abandoning all sense of planning and holding back.

This is gonna be a lot more enjoyable than I thought, apparently.

I spun around to avoid Gargos' incoming attack and slashed him across the chest, sending him stumbling back.

"So this is your big plan, Gargos?" I taunted. "Your awesome plan to destroy us is a brand new base? Man, you really must be running out of ideas."

"I really want to know how you survived Waltz's attack, boy!" Gargos growled.

Stubborn as always. "Okay, if you really want to know, here you go."

I remembered everything I'd done to escape as I told him. "I deduced from watching Waltz that he's the type that's pretty strong, but not very smart. So, when he tried to crush me and I put up my barrier, none of you saw me actually using my free hand to cast a teleportation spell that warped me out of that dimension just in time. When I got back to Misora, I simply repressed my magical aura so you and your goons couldn't sense me."

"Then how did you know what went on in that dimension?!"

"Hey, anyone with even a trace of magical ability could feel that incredible power that awakened," I responded. "So, I assume after Yuki-chan took care of Waltz, you turned chicken and ran away?"

"You will pay for taunting me, boy!" Gargos exclaimed, bum-rushing me again.

This time, however, I decided to skip the foreplay and thrust Nenshou Hikari straight forward, its crystal-encased blade piercing straight through Gargos' chest.

Once I wrenched it out of him, he stumbled back, coughing up some blood but otherwise none the worse for wear.

"You... you bastard..." Gargos growled.

"You know, why am I not surprised that I didn't kill you with that?" I quipped.

"We... we _will_ meet again. And you will pay the price for trifling with us."

And with that, Gargos vanished.

"Yeah, you do that."

I reverted Nenshou Hikari to my wand and used it to cast a teleportation spell to get me off of this strange contraption.

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"And... that's really all I can say," Yuki stated, her wings still glowing brightly. "Nick-kun gave his life to save me, and even though I killed the psycho who did it, it doesn't make the pain go away..."

The Ojamajos just sat there, too stunned by what Yuki had just told them to do much of anything.

The group's shocked state was derailed by a couple knocks on the front door of the Twin Bells MAHO-dou.

"Oh, customer! Everyone assume your positions!" Majorika immediately shouted.

"Majorika-san, this isn't the freakin' time to be thinking about your sales!" Yuki shouted, tears beginning to fall. "For god's sake, my big brother is _dead_, and all you care about is your stupid customers?!"

"Jeez, Yuki-chan, I've never seen ya get this emotional before..." Aiko quipped.

"You should have seen her when we went on vacation. Talk about homesick..."

Yuki perked up at that voice, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Wait, that voice..." Doremi quipped.

"No _way_..." Yuki gasped. The black witch wasted no time in rushing to the door and ripping it open.

"I'll admit, I got a bit emotional, too."

"ONII-CHAN!" Yuki shouted, throwing herself right into my arms. "Y-you're alive! You're actually alive!"

"Of course," I replied, returning my sister's hug and noting how radiant she looked with those wings. "I'm not breaking my promise. Any of them."

"Kelly-kun, we were so sure you'd been flattened! How in the heck did you get out of that?!" Aiko shouted.

"Simple," I stated. "I took advantage of the fact that Waltz wasn't very smart and used ingenuity to make my clever escape."

"But I couldn't even sense you anywhere!" Yuki exclaimed.

"I was repressing my magical aura so the goon squad couldn't find me," I explained. "You've gotta be smarter than they are to make it out alive."

"You... you jerk! Don't EVER leave me hanging like that again, got it?!" Yuki shouted, starting to cry. "I really thought you were dead! I thought you were gone from my life forever!"

"Ehehehe... sorry if I worried you, sis," I quipped, scratching the back of my head nervously. "I just had to take some precautions so they couldn't mess anything up."

I reached out to dry her tears. "Remember what I promised you, Yuki-chan? No matter how far apart we are, I'm never gonna leave you."

Yuki finally let a smile break through and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. "I... I know. I haven't forgotten."

I then decided to bring up what I should have before. "I see you finally summoned the divine power, huh?"

To my surprise, Yuki just giggled. "Oh, if you thought I got emotional now, Nick-kun, you should have seen me earlier... I thought my heart was gonna break because of what happened, and all those two goons did was taunt me and cut me down... I just went into a rage and used my power to slap them both silly..."

"And you took one of them down no problem, right?" I asked, holding Yuki a little closer. "I'm proud of you, Yuki-chan."

"Thank you so much... I love you, Nick-kun..."

"I love you, too, Yuki-chan."

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"M-my lord..."

"Gargos, are you all right? You are wounded."

"The boy... he survived... he took advantage of Waltz's lack of intelligence..."

A grunt resounded from the darkness surrounding the leader. "I see. They are far more resourceful than I thought."

Gargos clutched his wounded chest; though his dark powers were slowly healing the wound, it had been quite a severe hit. "What shall we do, then?"

The leader rose from his throne and stepped out of the shadows, revealing the leader to be none other than Jeff Kelly, Nick and Yuki's father.

"M-m-my lord! You are... their father?!"

"Yes, my children have been quite the nuisance," Jeff proclaimed. "Then I believe it is time I take a more personal role in our endeavors."

"My lord, why reveal your identity to me now, after so long?"

"I believed that if you knew my identity from the start, you would think I was a spy," Jeff explained. "I hold no allegiance to those two anymore, so you need not worry. My loyalty is only to the Delegates of Darkness. I assume your loyalty is going to stay the same?"

"O-o-of course, my lord," Gargos stated, bowing respectfully. "My loyalty is only to this organization. I was just surprised at finding out who you really are."

"Nevertheless, we must push ahead with the plans. How much longer will it be until Storm Station is fully operational?"

"It should only take a week at most, and quite possibly an extra day or two to test and finalize the defense systems."

"Then that is when we shall strike. I do not believe you have been briefed about what Storm Station is intended to do."

"I've only heard rumors, my lord. No one will tell me the full story due to how precarious the operation is."

"Then let me enlighten you, Gargos."

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Once again, the first thing I saw when I woke up was the Storm Station that was being constructed around the highest ring of the Skywhirl Tower.

You practically can't miss the thing if you've got even a touch of magic power. Especially considering how close the hotel is to the tower, and we're stationed on one of the higher floors.

My question is what do those freaks intend to do with it?

We seriously don't have any answers and that's making me a little nervous.

While I'd been hiding in plain sight from the goons about a week ago, I'd conducted a mostly fruitless search for what the Delegates of Darkness were up to. Whatever they have up their sleeves is _never_ a good thing.

All I really found was the Storm Station itself when I noticed Gargos appearing on it. I didn't have any time to poke around for info on what it is or what it's supposed to do.

But I've got this strange feeling that we'll be finding out real soon.

"Ah, it's a beautiful morning!" Yuki giggled as she sat up, looking out the window (but thankfully not straight at the Storm Station). "The sun's shining and everything's perfect!"

Just like my sister to start the day with something like that.

For once, though, she's actually right. It looks like it's going to be a really nice day today (you all know why I don't trust weathermen).

"So, Nick-kun, what did you want to do today?" Yuki asked.

"Eh, I'm bored with always deciding. You pick," I replied.

"Well, then, how about we go to the park? There's gonna be a concert there today!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Isn't it for that new doujin band who's been getting really popular lately?"

"How do you know this stuff, onii-chan?"

"Just lucky, I guess."

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"My lord, Storm Station is fully operational," Gargos proclaimed. "The defense systems tests have passed with flying colors, and everything is ready for the operation."

"Good," Jeff proclaimed. "We shall strike very soon."

"It truly is a marvel, my lord, unlike anything I have ever seen before."

"If you are impressed already, Gargos, just wait until the operation begins. Then you shall be awestruck by what Storm Station can do."

"I anticipate a wonderful operation, my lord."

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"Wow, this place is _packed_!" Yuki exclaimed. She was right; there were people EVERYWHERE. Wow, didn't think the band was _that_ popular...

"Then how about we find a place to sit and enjoy the concert before the people take all of our spots?" I quipped.

"Hey, you guys!"

We turned around and noticed Doremi and her boyfriend Akatsuki Shidoosha standing there, their arms linked with each others'. Yep.

"We didn't know you liked this band, too!" Doremi giggled.

"I'm not as big a follower as your boyfriend is," I quipped, causing Doremi to blush. "I just heard they were in town and wanted to see what all the fanfare was about."

"Well, it's a wonder I've been able to follow them at all with the way our computers are," Akatsuki stated.

"Still stuck with a crappy internet connection, huh?" I replied. "You should probably ask Oyajide-san to get better computers or at least a better connection."

"He's too stubborn, Nick-kun! Oyajide-baka-san doesn't want to spend the money!" Yuki exclaimed. "Maybe if I whacked him with my hammer, he'd probably listen..."

"Now, now, sis, we don't need to bean the jerk's head in," I teased. "Just sort of swing it at him and try to intimidate him."

"You really think that'd work?"

"It should. I know he's scared of you."

"Of course!"

"HEY, NICK!"

I looked around, wondering who'd just addressed me. It couldn't have been Momoko, since she's with the other Ojamajos at the Twin Bells MAHO-dou. And she's the only one who ever calls me by my first name without any suffixes.

Wait.

I just remembered something.

Before I could piece the memory together, however, some girl leaped forward and glomped me so hard we both went crashing to the ground.

"Oh, my god, I _never_ thought I'd see you at a Sonic Speed Riders concert, of all places!" the girl exclaimed.

"Why does everyone keep harping on that?" I quipped, shaking the stars out of my eyes, only to set my gaze on a girl I never thought I'd see again. At first, I wasn't sure if it was really her, but that Pokéball symbol on her cap was a dead giveaway.

"Wait a minute. Leaf-chan, is that you?!" I exclaimed.

"Guilty as charged!" the girl giggled. This, my dear readers, is my childhood friend Ichiyou Kitakaze. Everyone just calls her "Leaf", with the exception of Saiki, who's always been too formal for nicknames. Ichiyou's a very persistent girl, but once you get to know her, she's really as sweet as can be. She was an old friend of me and Yuki, until she moved out of Misora three years ago, due to her parents going to another city for work.

"Oh, Leaf-chan, you're finally back!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing up to hug Ichiyou tightly. "I didn't think we'd ever see each other again!"

"Yeah, my parents decided to move back to Misora," Ichiyou replied while hugging Yuki back. "They got a better offer."

Then, Ichiyou winked at me. "So, how's my husband-to-be doing?"

Oh. _This._

Remember when I mentioned that Ichiyou's a very persistent girl?

Well, for me at least, this can be seen the most in her constant desire to marry me. When we were kids, I'd first met Ichiyou by saving her from a pack of playground bullies. During the dialogue that ensued, I'd apparently unwittingly promised to marry her (to be honest, she misunderstood something that I said to her), and she would take every opportunity to remind me of that fact. It tended to annoy me with how often she brought it up, but thankfully, it didn't damage our friendship in any way. I can still remember Ichiyou bawling her eyes out when she and her family had moved away, and I'd managed to calm her down by sharing my first kiss with her (mind you, this was about a year before I met Momoko). Ever since, she's been crushing hard on me, only adding to her desire to marry me.

You know, it often reminds me of Aiko and that Anrima kid from Osaka...

"He's doing all right," I replied. Just play along, Nick. I don't think she knows that I'm hooked up with Momoko yet...

"That's good!" Ichiyou giggled. "You guys ready to enjoy some Sonic Speed Riders?"

"Hell yeah!" Yuki proclaimed.

So, for the next two hours, we sat there in the park and enjoyed the concert, jamming out to Sonic Speed Riders' high-energy vocals and block-rockin' beats.

By the time it was over, Ichiyou was clutching my arm tightly and practically hopping up and down in excitement. I guess I forgot to mention that Ichiyou loves music of all kinds. One of her favorite thing she does to pass the time is just lay back and jam out to her favorite tunes. To tell the truth, she's actually a _really_ good singer.

"That was so awesome!" Ichiyou exclaimed. "No wonder those guys are so popular!"

"No kidding," I replied. "To be honest, Yuki-chan bought their first CD a couple months ago, and I've been hooked since."

"Hey, you two, I just realized something; why aren't your okaa-san and otou-san here with you?" Ichiyou wondered.

Oh, boy. This is gonna be the hard part...

Suddenly, Ichiyou started laughing. "I'm just kidding, guys! Doremi-chan told me everything that's been going on since I've been gone. I actually went to the hotel first, but the reception dude said that you'd gone to the park, so I figured you were going to see Sonic Speed Riders, and I followed you there. That's really all there is to it!"

"So, then, you know that Nick-kun's already got a girlfriend, right?" Yuki asked.

"Just means I'll have to keep trying!" Ichiyou proclaimed. "Momo-chan may have won the battle, but I'll still win the war!"

I couldn't do anything but sweatdrop at that.

Just then, I felt something wet fall down on the top of my head.

Oh, you have _got _to be freakin' _kidding me._

"Wait, what the heck?!" Yuki shouted. "Why the heck is it raining? The weatherman said it'd be nice and sunny all day long!"

"That's exactly why I don't trust weathermen!" I shouted as it started pouring. "This is just _perfect_! We'd better get back, sis!"

"Can I stay with you guys for a couple hours?" Ichiyou asked. "Mom and dad are still at work, and I really don't wanna be home alone in this crap..."

"Of course, Leaf-chan! The more, the merrier!" Yuki giggled.

"What about your little brother?" I wondered.

"He's with his uncle for the next couple days," Ichiyou replied.

If I'd have been paying attention while trying to shield us from this sudden downpour, I would have probably noticed the oddity on the Skywhirl Tower.

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"I swear, I'm never watching the channel sixty-four news again," I growled once we'd arrived back at the Through the Night Hotel. "Those pieces of work always lie out of their faces."

"Well, you can't really blame them, can you, onii-chan?" Yuki asked. "We can't really make accurate predictions, since the weather always changes."

"You two should probably change your clothes before you catch a cold," Ichiyou quipped. "You guys got _soaked_ out there!"

"Good idea," Yuki responded.

As Yuki and I ducked into the bathroom to change into new outfits, Ichiyou walked up to the window, gazing at the darkening sky and the torrents of rain falling from the heavens.

"What's up, Leaf-chan?" Yuki asked once we'd come out of the bathroom, dressed in new clothes.

"Someone's sad," Ichiyou proclaimed. "When rain falls like it is now, that means someone is very sad... I wish I could find whoever's sad and comfort them..."

I guess I also forgot to say that Ichiyou can get very philosophical when it comes to the weather. She always believes that people's emotions can influence the weather in a place. Because of what her name means, I can't really fault her for having that mindset, but...

My train of thought was derailed as a flash lit up the sky, followed five seconds later by a deafening rumble of thunder.

"And there's the capper!" Yuki groaned. "God, why do you hate us?"

"I'd be more inclined to ask why _mother nature_ hates us," I quipped. "She's the one controlling the weather, so I've had many bones to pick with her."

Ichiyou gazed further out the window, so that she could see the very coast of Misora. "Um, guys, either I'm hallucinating, or I'm seeing a bunch of tornadoes out on the bay..."

Wait, _what?!_ We _never_ get waterspouts around here!

"Hold on, let me see," I stated, rushing up to the window and checking out what Ichiyou had seen. Sure enough I saw at least six or seven waterspouts across the bay.

"Is this the end of the world or something?!" Yuki exclaimed. "Why is the weather having a heart attack?!"

I even saw nearby trees dangling in the wind, indicating that the wind speed had increased tenfold.

Okay, something was seriously not right here.

"We're not anywhere near a hurricane line," Ichiyou stated, answering my unspoken question. "But that's what it feels like."

I was about to question why a hurricane was happening in our city, of all places...

...and then I saw something I hadn't before.

I immediately rushed back to the window and set my gaze higher, my sight focused on the Skywhirl Tower and the Storm Station that had been constructed around it.

The ring-shaped Storm Station was glowing brightly and causing the very antenna of the Skywhirl Tower to shoot an invisible beam into the sky, right at the nexus of this crazy weather.

Of _course_! Why didn't I think of it before?!

"It's not a hurricane, you guys," I stated, catching Yuki and Ichiyou's attention. "It's the Storm Station! That contraption is a weather control machine!"

"A weather control machine?" Yuki repeated. "But why the heck would those nutjobs want to mess with the weather?!"

"They probably want to make the weather conditions bad enough to destroy the city," Ichiyou realized. "If that Storm Station thing is strong enough, it's very possible."

"I can't believe I didn't realize it before, but we've gotta get there and take Storm Station down before we all drown, or worse!" I shouted, reaching for my Spiritual Phone. "Yuki-chan, I think you know what time it is."

"Oh, yeah!" Yuki giggled, bringing out her own Spiritual Phone.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

"Nice one, you guys, but now it's my turn!" Ichiyou exclaimed, surprising both of us by bringing out her own Spiritual Phone, a jade color like my own.

"_Visualize! Ojamajo Fortissimo, Start!"_ Ichiyou proclaimed, opening her Spiritual Phone and dialing a few numbers on the keypad. Emerald-green musical notes began to spin around her as she waved her Spiritual Phone like a wand, concentrating the swarm of notes around her body.

After a bit of that, she hit the "SEND" button and the music notes converged on her body, forming her witch outfit in a flash of emerald light.

"_The whipping emerald, Leaf-chi!"_ Ichiyou shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

Yuki, Ichiyou and I quickly performed our group pose after that. _"The world's youngest witches with the power to save the planet! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"Whoa, Leaf-chan, you're a witch, too?" Yuki gasped upon seeing Ichiyou in her witch outfit. You think you know a person, huh?

"Yep, got my qualifications while I was in Hokkaido," Ichiyou proclaimed. "My teacher's a really cool chick! But I don't think we need to be talking about my time as a witch. We've gotta get up to the Storm Station and shut that thing down!"

"You read my mind, Leaf-chan," I quipped. "Let's move out!"

With that, we hopped out of the window and down to the Misora streets so we could rush to the Skywhirl Tower.

I found it as quite a shock when I didn't feel any of the crazy weather that was bombarding the city. The rain wasn't lashing at me and clouding my vision and the insane wind wasn't pushing me backwards.

"My teacher said that our witch outfits will protect us from any crappy weather," Ichiyou stated. "Pretty convenient, huh?"

"Very!" Yuki giggled. "I still remember that one time I was stuck walking to school in a _blizzard_! That was not fun!"

"Hey, LOOK OUT!" Ichiyou shouted, pointing towards an uprooted tree that was flying straight at us, no doubt ripped out by the insane wind.

I didn't waste a single second.

"_Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_

Once my weapon was clutched tightly in my hands, I waited for the tree to approach us and then performed a fierce upward slash, carving the tree in half from the middle and causing both halves to fall safely away from us.

"Whew... _that_ was too close..." Ichiyou gasped.

"Leave it to onii-chan to come through at the last second, huh?" Yuki giggled.

"There it is! Skywhirl Tower, dead ahead!" I shouted as we quickly approached the tower.

"You're not going any further."

I sidestepped to dodge the attack that had just been thrown at me. Figures he'd be here.

"So now you're playing guard dog to your precious creation, Gargos?" Yuki challenged as Gargos floated down from the sky. "Talk about going _down_ the corporate ladder."

"Just what do you hope to accomplish with Storm Station, you freak?!" I shouted over the howling winds. "Why send our city into a freakin' hurricane?!"

"Oh, it'll be worse than that, brats," Gargos proclaimed. "We intend to purge this city of filth like you by sending it underwater. The 'hurricane' effects are just a start. Just a signal to all those who would cross our organization."

"We're not letting you harm our beloved city, freak show!" Ichiyou proclaimed.

"And who might you be?" Gargos asked. He'd obviously never seen Ichiyou around here before. "You're one of their playmates, aren't you?"

Ichiyou struck a cute pose. "I'm Nick's future husband, so I don't appreciate you talking smack about him!"

Another sweatdrop appeared on my forehead. She's still going on about that, even during a crisis?

"And what will you do if I keep 'talking smack' about him?" Gargos shot back.

Ichiyou hopped into the air in response, spinning around gracefully and creating a strange magnetic field around her body that sucked Gargos closer.

"_The attraction between future beloved, take this! Ojamajo Magnet Burst!"_ Ichiyou shouted, throwing her hands out and dispelling the magnetic field, sending Gargos flying into the side of a nearby building.

Now, in my personal opinion, _that_ was pretty cool.

"Come on, guys, now's our chance to get up to that thing while he's out!" Ichiyou shouted, whipping out her Koseki Poron.

"_Sashiki shigeki kakori yozora! Take us to the Storm Station!"_

We all disappeared in a flash of green music notes just as Gargos recovered from Ichiyou's attack.

"Hmph. It won't do you any good, brats. It will not be much longer before this city is sent to the bottom of the sea."

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When I could see again, we were inside the Storm Station, which was apparently a strange, labyrinth-like area full of machinery that looked like it came from either the distant future or some strange alien planet.

"Whoa," Yuki gasped. "Future-chic, huh?"

"No kidding," Ichiyou proclaimed.

"All right, if this is their base of operations, we need to stay on our toes," I quipped. "Who knows what this place is gonna throw at us?"

"_My_ question is, how do we know where we're supposed to go?" Yuki asked. "We don't have much time before this thing sends our city underwater."

"All I'm sure of is that we'll probably need to find and disable the core of this thing," I realized. "That'll probably stop the transmissions and put the weather back to normal."

"Okay, so where do we find the core?" Ichiyou asked. "Have I mentioned that I _don't like mazes_?!"

"I'm guessing all we can really do is pick a path and start searching," Yuki stated. "I doubt they'd be stupid enough to leave a map of the place in their own contraption."

"Bad guys are getting smarter," Ichiyou sighed. "That's a _very_ bad thing."

"Okay, I guess I'll take the south way," Yuki quipped.

"I'll go that way," Ichiyou stated, pointing to the northeast.

"And I'll go straight ahead," I replied. "If anyone finds the core, give us a signal and we'll teleport over there, all right?"

"Roger!" Yuki and Ichiyou shouted together.

And with that, we all split up to tackle the Storm Station's labyrinth-like insides.

I hadn't noticed someone watching us from the shadows, eyes glowing red with malice.

"Well, so you finally made it. I really don't want to have to do this, but such things must be done."

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"This place is weird," I noted as I continued to walk through the dark hallways of the Storm Station. I imagined it'd be at least somewhat bright, with all the weather effects going on around us, but _noooooo_, I can't see a damn thing! What is it with villains and their desire to make everything dark and depressing, not to mention dank and stinky?!

Ugh... okay, focus, Yuki. You can complain about this place's stupid design aesthetics _after_ we trash it.

I eventually came across a fork in the road I'd already been down, making a mental note of which passageways I'd already been through. I still don't know why Ichiyou hates mazes. I personally think they're fun as hell!

This time, instead of going to the left, I started jogging down the east path, hoping I'd get somewhere in my search.

Not much different this time. I just ran into another fork, but I knew I hadn't taken these paths yet, and I could tell I was getting closer to the center of this monster, as the amount of windows were decreasing the further in I went.

I know Nick's told me that I'm horrible with directions, but at least I'm trying, people!

Okay, so as I reached yet another fork in the road (you have no idea how annoying this is, people), I decided to make things easier on myself by summoning Tobiume and carving a little symbol into the nearby wall. This way, if I came back here, it'll be easier for me to deduce whether or not I've been this way before.

Ugh, now I'm starting to see why Ichiyou hates mazes so much... this is REALLY ANNOYING!

Though I guess the only reason I'm annoyed about this maze is because we're on a bit of a tight schedule here, considering what we're trying to stop.

I can complain about this sucky layout later.

I stopped just short of a hallway to the west when I saw a bunch of goons approaching me.

This was going to be fun. Finally, a little action!

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ I chanted, swinging Tobiume in a circle and unleashing a wide-field barrage of blue lightning that toppled each of the goons.

"_Mystic Arte, Radiant Moonlight!"_ I shouted, performing a fierce overhead slash that created a massive wave of twilight energy that vaporized the goon patrol.

Seriously, do these goons think they can handle _me_, of all people?!

Okay, boast later, silly. We still have a core to find.

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Part of the fun of mazes is the challenge of trying to figure out exactly where you're going and making notes about where you have been and where you haven't.

I could probably blame it on all the game shows that Nick and I watched as kids, but that's just me.

I hope Yuki's doing all right. I know that she doesn't have the best sense of direction (read: IT SUCKS), but I'm sure she'll be okay.

Apparently, I was still on the outer ring of the Storm Station, as I could see lots and lots of windows that portrayed the madness that was still occurring outside.

It's so weird to see our city get struck by a hurricane when we're not even near a hurricane line!

Okay, Leaf, focus. Keep your mind on the objective at hand.

I needed to find a way to get towards the center.

Obviously, that wasn't going to be easy, what with all the branching paths, dead ends, and fake indicators.

I seriously wanna know how those freaks could build something like this without every single person in Misora noticing!

I took a left down the nearby path, only to run into a bunch of goons on my way.

"I'll only say this once, so listen carefully!" I shouted. "Move out of the way and I won't have to send you to the hospital!"

That didn't deter the goons, who just continued to approach me.

Oh, goody. I get to knock them around some.

I hopped into the air, spinning around gracefully and creating a magnetic field around my body that sucked in all of the goons.

"_The attraction between future beloved, take this! Ojamajo Magnet Burst!"_ I shouted, dispelling the magnetic field and sending all of the goons flying in random directions.

With my way clear, I was free to waltz down the hallway that the goons were guarding.

As I did, my mind wandered to the fact that Nick had gotten a girlfriend while I was gone.

I guess I was naïve to think that it'd be that easy to win Nick's heart, even though we both shared our first kiss with each other.

"_Hey, Leaf-chan, don't cry..."_

_How was I NOT supposed to cry?! I was about to leave my home and my future husband behind!_

"_W-w-will I ever see you again, Nick?"_

"_Of course. It's not like you're going away forever, right? You're only moving to a different town, not out of Japan itself."_

"_But we made a promise, remember?!"_

"_And I haven't forgotten, silly. Just because you're moving to Hokkaido doesn't mean I'm gonna forget about our promise."_

"_But how am I supposed to marry you if we're living in completely different cities?!"_

_At that moment, Nick did something I never thought he'd do._

_He kissed me._

_He put his hands on my shoulders and he actually kissed me!_

_I couldn't believe it! My future husband was finally kissing me!_

"_That..." I gasped when he pulled back. "That... was my first kiss..."_

"_Mine, too," Nick admitted. "Did you like it?"_

"_What are you saying, Nick? Of COURSE I loved it!" I exclaimed. "That's just further proof that we'll be together in the future!"_

_I squealed loudly and hugged Nick as tight as I could. "I promise, when we both come of age, I'm gonna reeeeeeally enjoy walking down the aisle with you!"_

_Nick just smiled in response._

Doesn't mean I'm gonna give up, though.

I'll marry that kid if it's the last thing I do!

I just hope Momoko won't flip out. I've never met her (and I probably won't until this whole Storm Station business is finished) so I don't know what kind of girl she is.

Guess all I can do for now is speculate and try my very best!

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I sighed heavily as I swung Nenshou Hikari and cut down another goon. This really isn't getting me anywhere.

I'm trying to find the core of this stupid contraption, not cut down goon after goon just because I went the wrong way.

Here's hoping the others are doing better than I am.

Seriously, lame aesthetics aside, this is actually quite the impressive machine, even if it's evil. Hey, I can appreciate when people put actual effort into something.

I stepped down a nearby hallway and noticed that the technology surrounding me was starting to get more intricate. Let's hope that means we're getting closer to the core of this place, because I am seriously getting annoyed with this labyrinth of pipes and goons.

Taking a few cautious steps forward, I reached for the nearby door and opened it to reveal a large, spherical room with many machines and a giant red energy sphere at the center of the room.

Jackpot.

Guess I'd better get the others over here. I quickly brought out my Koseki Poron and began to chant my magical spell.

"_Asobu soba de sakiyaki sore! Bring my sister and my friend to my position!"_

A bright flash of light resounded in the area, and Yuki and Ichiyou popped out of it moments later, crashing hard to the ground.

"ACK! What just happened?!" Yuki exclaimed. "Did I get pulled through another dimension?!"

"I think we just got teleported, Yuki-chan," Ichiyou responded. "Right, Nick?"

"I'm pretty sure this is the core of the Storm Station," I stated, gesturing to the giant red energy ball in front of us. "If we shut this thing down, the Storm Station should stop trying to hurricane-force our city six feet under."

"Well, then, what the heck are we waiting for?!" Yuki exclaimed, swinging Tobiume. "Let's cut this thing into ribbons and get the heck out of here!"

"Hold your horses, Yuki-chan," Ichiyou proclaimed. "I have a feeling that it's not gonna be anywhere near as easy as _that_."

"That's why we should take a chance and screw them over now!" Yuki shot back.

"Who said we were going to let you?"

"Oh, great, ANOTHER guard goon," Ichiyou growled.

Problem?

I recognized that voice.

And the owner of that voice is supposed to be dead!

"Wait just a second, that can't be you, can it?!" Yuki shouted.

Silence pervaded for a few seconds as who else but Black Waltz Three stepped out from the shadows, that psychotic grin on his face exactly as I remembered it.

"Surprise, kiddies," Waltz sneered.

"Okay, pardon my bad French, but who the hell are _you_?!" Ichiyou shouted.

"How in god's blue smurf are you still alive, you freak show?!" Yuki exclaimed, bringing Tobiume into a fighting stance. "I utterly annihilated you the last time I saw you!"

"Apparently, you didn't finish the job, little princess," Waltz replied. "My master found what was left of me and used some of the Gaia Force he'd collected to bring me back to the world of the living. An acceptable sacrifice, especially considering how much Gaia Force is resting in this city."

"Wait, _Gaia Force_? What's your sick little plan this time?!" I shouted, readying my weapon.

"I see no reason to tell you our plans. After all..." Waltz proclaimed, beginning to glow with a powerful dark aura.

"...why trouble you in your final hour?"

With that, Waltz began his transformation into the same rock golem thing that had almost killed me back in Parallel's Playground.

I could easily see that Yuki was getting scared; she obviously didn't want a repeat of what had happened last time.

"Nick-kun... what do we do _now_?!" Yuki exclaimed.

Yuki was definitely surprised to see me smiling.

"Yuki-chan... remember last time? Remember how you defeated mister psycho over here?"

Yuki gasped as she remembered. "Oh, of _course_!"

My sister sheathed Tobiume, then crossed her arms over her chest and began to concentrate hard.

After a few seconds, her body began to shine with a bright, heavenly light, and two glowing angel wings sprouted from her back, one jet black and one pure white.

"WOW, Yuki-chan!" Ichiyou exclaimed. "When did you become an angel?!"

Yuki giggled at the comparison. "It's my 'divine power'. The freaks want this power for some reason, and it awakened inside of me the last time we fought Waltz. I used it to pretty much effortlessly destroy him, even though he's standing right in front of us."

Yuki then turned to Waltz, a taunting expression adorning her face. "And I assume you're ready for a second beating?!"

"I'm not scared of you this time!" Waltz bellowed.

"You were _exactly_ like that last time, and last time, I freakin' obliterated you!" Yuki shot back. "You really want to tempt fate again?!"

Waltz answered that by lifting his foot in an attempt to crush us.

"Not this time, freak!" I shouted, transforming my wand into Nenshou Hikari and aiming for the behemoth. _"Diamond Tempest!"_

I swung Nenshou Hikari hard, unleashing a wave of light that sent Waltz stumbling backwards, right into the core and causing cracks to appear in it.

Hey, I think we're on to something!

I flashed a few hand signs to Yuki and Ichiyou so as not to verbally reveal my plan.

They both nodded and readied themselves.

"Oh, you will pay for that!" Waltz growled, plodding forward. Thankfully he seemed pretty slow in that behemoth form of his. For once, I'm glad a stereotype is working in our favor.

"My turn, my turn!" Ichiyou giggled, hopping into the air in response, spinning around gracefully and creating a strange magnetic field around her body that sucked Waltz closer.

"_The attraction between future beloved, take this! Ojamajo Magnet Burst!"_ Ichiyou shouted, throwing her hands out and dispelling the magnetic field, sending Waltz crashing back into the core.

"What is the point of using such pitiful attacks?" Waltz bellowed. "You will not be able to defeat me if you're just plodding along like this!"

Yuki grinned widely. "Oh, you want me to step it up, psycho boy?"

"If you can, I'd love to see it!" Waltz taunted.

"All right, then just remember that you asked for it!" Yuki exclaimed, flying forward and scooping me up into the air.

"Follow my lead, okay, onii-chan?" Yuki asked, holding me tightly. I nodded and began concentrating.

Our bodies began glowing with a bright, multi-colored light, forcing Waltz to take a few steps back.

"_O sad soul, rejected by life..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_O lonely spirit, drifting between the planes of life..."_ I chanted.

Energy began to spiral around us as I held my hands towards the behemoth in front of us.

"_We will sever the chains that constrict you to this world and cleanse your spirit of the darkness that taints you!"_ we both shouted, bright silver energy gathering in my hands.

"You will not have that satisfaction!" Waltz growled, ambling towards us.

I couldn't help but smirk victoriously.

"_Double Ojamajo Divine Absolution!"_

Yuki flapped her wings twice as I unleashed the energy I'd gathered in the form of a massive wave of light that struck Waltz and slammed him into the core again. Not content with just that, I charged up my power again and released another wave of light that created a rather large crack in the core.

For the grand finale, I spread my arms outward, creating many spheres of light, each one a different color. Before Waltz was able to get his bearings, I slammed my hands together, and all of the energy spheres converged on Waltz and exploded into a brilliant flash of rainbow light, destroying Waltz's golem form and leaving only his normal self lying in front of an almost destroyed core.

"Ugh... you... you brats are too stubborn for your own good," Waltz proclaimed.

"We get that a lot," Yuki giggled.

"And unless you want some more, I'd suggest you back off," I challenged.

What did Waltz do?

He lunged right at me.

"Just does not get it..." I sighed. _"The bow and string of a determined boy, take this! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!"  
><em>

I fired off a bright green beam of energy that sent Waltz flying into the core, his body breaking through it and causing the large red sphere to shatter and explode.

Yeah, how does _that_ feel, you little bastard?!

"Did... did we get him?" Yuki wondered.

"And... why is this place not self-destructing now that its core is toast?" Ichiyou asked.

All of a sudden, the entire area began to shake and rumble.

"Oh, _there_ we go," Ichiyou giggled.

"Come on, you guys, let's get out of here," Yuki quipped, floating over to Ichiyou and wrapping her angel wings around both of us.

When I was able to see again, all three of us were back on the streets of Misora, with a perfect view of the Storm Station beginning to self-destruct.

"WE DID IT!" Ichiyou exclaimed, hopping up and down like a giddy schoolgirl. "We destroyed the big bad weather machine thingy!"

"All in a day's work, Leaf-chan," Yuki giggled.

"Seriously, Yuki-chan, you are just _awesome_," Ichiyou stated, reaching out to hug Yuki.

"Wait a second," I quipped, suddenly realizing something. "That thing's gonna crash into the city if it falls, right?"

Turns out I was wrong, because only a few seconds later, the Storm Station, as if it had developed a mind of its own, broke off from the Skywhirl Tower and floated high into the sky until it disappeared above the clouds.

And something else I just realized: this giant hurricane hasn't stopped yet. Does that mean we've been duped?

"Hey, where'd it go?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Something tells me we're not quite done yet..." I noted.

"How fitting that you finally realize it now, boy," Gargos proclaimed, standing right behind us in pretty much the same place we'd left him before zapping up to the Storm Station.

"Have you been there this whole time?!" Yuki exclaimed. "Man, I really must have hit you hard..."

"What's the deal, Gargos?!" I shouted. "We destroyed the core of the Storm Station, so why is it still flying?!"

"You only destroyed a power generator, boy," Gargos proclaimed. "The true core of the Storm Station is not in the structure itself. Right now, our masterpiece is flying high into the atmosphere to connect with its true core and send your city six feet into its grave."

"You're a jerk, you know that?!" Yuki shot back.

"Of course I am. That just makes it more fun for me," Gargos taunted before disappearing.

"This isn't good, you guys," Ichiyou stated, looking up into the dark sky. "At this rate, it won't be much longer before this crazy-ass weather flattens Misora..."

"Well, how are we supposed to get up there?!" I shouted. "I don't even think our witch outfits would protect us from going into the freakin' stratosphere!"

"I'll go," Yuki stated, quickly catching my attention. "My divine power should protect me from any adverse effects of being in the atmosphere. I'll find that core thing and wipe it out!"

"You be careful, okay, Yuki-chan?" Ichiyou replied. "I'm pretty sure both of the freak-boys are just waiting for you to dart up there and try something."

"I can handle them," Yuki giggled. "Even if they both go after me at the same time, I've got the clear advantage. Just let those doofuses try something!"

"You sure you'll be okay?" I asked.

"Don't worry, onii-chan," Yuki stated, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. "I won't be losing to these freaks today. That's a promise."

And with those words, Yuki flapped her angel wings and took off into the sky, towards wherever the Storm Station was flying to.

"We should probably get back to the MAHO-dou while Yuki-chan's doing her thing," I stated to Ichiyou.

"Good idea!" Ichiyou proclaimed. "Because weather-proof witch outfits or not, if I catch a cold from this, I'm gonna be _so_ pissed!"

So Ichiyou and I made our way through the roaring winds and pouring sheets of rain to make our way back to the Twin Bells MAHO-dou.

I managed to cast a last glimpse at Yuki before she disappeared above the clouds.

_Yuki-chan... stay safe, all right?_ I thought.

"Hey, where'd Yuki-chan go, you guys?" Doremi asked us the instant we'd arrived back at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou.

"Please don't tell me you actually went out in this crap..." Aiko groaned, gesturing to the weather outside.

"Um, weather-proof witch outfits, hello?" Ichiyou proclaimed. "They're the latest fashion of the witch world!"

I easily noticed the weird look Aiko sent at Ichiyou; only Doremi remembers Ichiyou from the stories I told her a couple years ago.

"Um, who are you, little missy?" Aiko quipped.

"Yeah, I don't think we've seen you around here before," Onpu noted.

"Oh, I'm the one and only Kitakaze Ichiyou!" Ichiyou giggled. "Former native of Hokkaido, proud witch of the Summer Leaves MAHO-dou, and Nick's future husband!"

Oh, boy. Ichiyou probably shouldn't have blurted that last bit out, because there was no way in hell I could miss the freaked-out expression that Momoko just made. This is the part I feared ever since I met Ichiyou back at the concert.

"It was before we met Kelly-kun, so don't freak out, okay, Momo-chan?" Doremi stated, to which Momoko gave a sigh of relief.

Thank you for the save, Doremi! And not a moment too soon, huh?

Ichiyou walked up to Momoko, looking my girlfriend up and down.

"So you're the prodigal girlfriend I've heard so much about, huh?" Ichiyou stated.

"Um... yeah, I'm Nick's girlfriend," Momoko replied, still a little confused.

"I approve!" Ichiyou giggled.

That's another thing about Ichiyou. She can make friends really easily.

"Um... not to get off-topic, but where's Yuki-chan?" Momoko wondered. "She didn't come back with you."

"Up there," I replied, pointing to the sky. "She went to go take care of the Storm Station before it connects with some core-like thing in the sky and pretty much sinks the city."

"Is she nuts?!" Fami exclaimed. "She's going up there in this crazy weather?!"

"She's using her divine power to protect herself," I continued. "Though I'm still worried about what she'll be fighting up there. The Delegates of Darkness aren't known for playing fair..."

Wherever you are, sis, just stay safe, got it?

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I ignored the rain that was lashing at my face as I flew higher into the atmosphere, hoping to find the core of the Storm Station and smash it before it's too late.

As I continued my flight, I noticed something strange up ahead, something that definitely didn't seem like it belonged there.

Score! I thought as I flew towards the anomaly.

To be honest, I was expecting a satellite-type thing, not a giant freaking robot!

**("Eye of the Storm – For Storm Station Boss Act" by Xiao'an Li plays)**

"Hey, wait a minute, where did you get that?!" I shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the strange-looking robot. "You can't just spring a giant robot on a pretty girl like me, you cheaters!"

"Tough luck, girl!" Gargos' voice resounded from wherever that thing's cockpit would be. Figures he'd be the one driving this thing! "This Precursor Robot we dug up from ancient ruins of the twilight kingdom is exactly what we need to finish you off!"

"Um, hello? Divine power?" I shot back. "Super unbelievable magical strength? I obliterated your pal before with barely any effort? Did I really hit you too hard back in Misora?"

"Oh, but there's something you didn't know," Gargos proclaimed. "The Precursor Robots were designed to counter twilight magic like yours in the ancient kingdoms. So prepare to be destroyed!"

I just shook my head in disgust. Gargos apparently doesn't seem to realize that my divine power isn't related to my twilight magic at all (even though they're very similar, what with the way they combine light and darkness into a single power).

Well, guess I've gotta teach him a lesson about not being stupid.

I flapped my wings and dashed right for the Precursor Robot, avoiding the strange yellow bursts it was firing at me.

Seriously, try something original!

I just as quickly had to eat my words as the robot started swinging its right arm and sending energy blades after me.

Okay, that works.

All right, time to get down to business!

"Say your prayers, little girl!" Gargos shouted.

"Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!" I shouted, throwing my hands outward and unleashing a wide-field storm of blue electricity that locked the Precursor Robot in its place.

"Mystic Arte, Radiant Moonlight!" I chanted, swinging my right hand forward and slashing at the Precursor Robot with a large wave of twilight energy.

"You really think you can even scratch my Precursor Robot with such a worthless attack?!" Gargos shouted.

"Seriously, freak-o, stop being so cocky! It's gonna get you killed!" I growled. Why are bad guys always so damn overconfident?!

The Precursor Robot just came after me again, aiming six strange wires at me. The tips began to glow with a bright light, making me realize that I should probably put up some sort of defense.

Just as I thought, the six wire things all fired bright red lasers at me. I waved my hands in an admittedly weird pattern before putting them in front of me.

"Santen kesshun, I reject!" I shouted, creating a crystalline shield in front of me that easily blocked the attack.

Wow, it didn't drain my energy this time. I really have matured since we whipped that Songbird thing!

"Okay, I think I'm through playing around," I stated matter-of-factly. "I really want to get back home and just relax before I catch a cold from this insane weather!"

My mind made up, I flew straight for the Precursor Robot, avoiding all of the attacks it was firing at me.

When I got close enough, I went into action.

"Come, o hazy moon, and send my foes to the coffin of hell!" I shouted, drawing Tobiume and infusing it with my divine power as I slashed fiercely at the Precursor Robot before delivering a powerful vertical slash that sent it flying back. I quickly raised my free hand and called on my magic to encase the robot in a gigantic orb of twilight energy. Ready for the finale, I aimed my glowing weapon straight for the robot's core.

"Mystic Arte, Moonlit Javelin!" I shouted, throwing my sparkling blade like a javelin straight into the core of the trapped Precursor Robot, piercing through vital components and causing it to explode in a rain of sheet metal.

"YES! Suck on that!" I exclaimed, rematerializing my weapon.

"You got lucky, little girl," Gargos growled. "Precursor technology is often difficult to control. Next time, you will not be so fortunate."

"How about you just shut up already?!" I shot back, slashing at him with Tobiume and leaving a wide gash in shoulder as he disappeared.

Seriously, I'm getting real sick of that guy thinking he's better than us! I'll admit, he probably was back when we first dealt with him, but Nick and I have gotten a lot stronger since then, and we're not the little kids we were before!

Ugh, it just annoys the hell out of me when villains condescend to me... I may be a little out of tune since what dad did to us, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let freaks like Gargos walk all over me!

But back to what I needed to do, I flew forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the Storm Station before it linked with whatever its core was.

After a few minutes, I saw the ring-shaped structure burst through a nearby cloud. All right, time to go to work.

I zipped over to the center of the Storm Station, having already figured out that I need to destroy the Storm Station before its core, otherwise the Storm Station could fall on Misora, and that's collateral damage I couldn't accept.

I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. Four gigantic elemental energy spheres, one yellow, one blue, one green, and one red, appeared and began to spin around my body.

"_O power that lies at the root of all creation..."_ I chanted, throwing my hands out. The energy spheres flew outwards and then surrounded the Storm Station. This is gonna be good.

"_O memory inscribed in ages past... hear my call and arise before me!"_ I chanted, locking my hands together in a prayer. A purple barrier surrounded me as the four elemental energy spheres began to shine.

"_Mystic Arte! Ancient Catastrophe!"_ I exclaimed, the four elemental spheres slamming into my barrier and exploding violently. Thanks to the barrier surrounding me, the energy released from the explosions was sent back outward and completely destroyed the Storm Station, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

Apparently, I'd done something right, because once the Storm Station was gone, the dark clouds around me shifted back to normal, the pounding rain and crazy wind stopped, and the weather was back to what it had been before the Storm Station had screwed everything up.

Guess that core thingy can't do anything if it doesn't have a place to transmit a signal to.

Heh, listen to me, sounding like a science class reject!

I should probably get back to the MAHO-dou. I'm sure Nick's worried about me.

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"And so the French guy says, 'Deodorant? What's THAT?!'" Ichiyou finished, causing every single one of us to burst out laughing.

"I can't believe you stole one of my jokes, Leaf-chan," I quipped.

"It felt like the right moment," Ichiyou giggled. "I've got a million of 'em!"

"Is she some kind of comedian?" Poppu wondered.

"She's just a really funny person," I admitted. "One of her many admirable qualities."

I cast a glance at Momoko, a little worried about her reaction. Thankfully, Momoko didn't seem to be disturbed at all. Thank god, in my eyes.

I'm still kinda worried, to be rather brutally honest. I definitely saw how Momoko just about freaked out when Ichiyou introduced herself as my "future husband", even before Doremi saved my bacon by saying that it was before I met everyone.

Trust me, when Momoko freaks out, things will get ugly really fast.

A few seconds later, I noticed that the weather was finally settling down, slowly returning to the sunny and breezy it had been before the Storm Station ruined everything.

Hey, does that mean that Yuki finished that thing off?

My question was quickly answered when Yuki made her way into the MAHO-dou, her face beaming.

"Mission accomplished, everybody! The Storm Station is officially no more!" Yuki exclaimed, her wings fading away. "I hope you guys are happy, too. I had to bust up a giant robot to take care of that thing!"

"Wait, you fought a giant robot?" Aiko exclaimed. "It wasn't a Gundam, was it?"

Yuki just shook her head. "Gargos-san said it was a 'Precursor' robot. I have no idea what he meant by that..."

"Wait, are you talking about the Precursors?!" Fami exclaimed.

Okay, now I'm interested. "What do you know about them, Fami-chan?" I asked.

Fami put her hands on her knees as she told her story. "The Precursors are the supposed creators of the world, according to ancient legends. We have a whole class about the Precursors at school in the future. The Precursors, according to legend, were the ones who shaped our world many millions of years ago. During the first age of the 'kingdom of twilight', Precursors were worshipped as gods, even though no one knew where they'd come from. When the twilight kingdom was destroyed by an unknown force, the Precursors apparently went into a dormant state and no one knows why. No one alive today is even sure who or what the Precursors really are behind the masks and facades they put up to communicate with us. Nowadays, and especially in my time, treasure hunters are ecstatic about finding any sort of old Precursor artifacts in ancient ruins, considering that some of the old text might help us piece together the mystery of why the Precursors disappeared when the twilight kingdom fell."

"Wow, so why, of all things, was there a Precursor ROBOT that those freaks used against me?!" Yuki exclaimed, waving her arms much like Hazuki when she saw a ghost.

"The Precursors were said to be far more advanced then people of the time were," Fami replied. "Another mystery that we haven't been able to solve..."

"If the Delegates of Darkness are unearthing ancient Precursor technology just to take us down, they must really be desperate," I quipped.

"And consider how hard it is to even find suitable power sources for the unearthed technology that's been found," Fami responded.

"Well, I say 'bring it on'!" Yuki proclaimed. "I whipped one Precursor robot thing, and I can trash another if I need to!"

That's just like my sister, always bold and courageous when she's in the mood for a fight.

"Hey, sis, I'm proud of you," I stated. "Good job kicking butt up there."

"Aww... thanks, onii-chan," Yuki giggled, reaching out to hug me.

"That's my future husband for you!" Ichiyou exclaimed.

I snuck a glance at Momoko; she didn't look any different. Is she putting up with it just for my sake?

"Hey, Momoko, could I talk with you in private for a second?" I asked. Momoko simply nodded, and the two of us walked back into the MAHO-dou's storeroom. A fitting place as any, I guess.

"What's up, Nick?" Momoko asked.

"I can tell you're acting a little awkward," I replied. "You don't have to hide it from me."

Momoko gasped in surprise. "Was I... really that obvious?"

"Only in a way that I can easily detect."

"I guess... it feels weird that she can just blurt stuff like that out when she knows I'm right here and can hear every word she says..."

"That's just the kind of girl Leaf-chan is. She tends to vocalize her feelings more often than most people."

"You sound like you know her a lot."

"She was one of my first friends, and I'll admit, she was my first crush. But this was all before I met you and the girls, Momoko, I swear to god."

"I know. I'm not mad about that. I had my fair share of crushes before I met you, too. But what I would like to know is why you made her that promise."

"Well, to be honest, she misunderstood something I said to her after I saved her from those bullies. She took it as a promise of marriage and she never let it go..."

"Is Leaf-chan stubborn?"

"Almost as much as me, but she's still my friend, Momoko, misunderstood promise or not."

"I know, Nick. You're not the type to abandon his friends for ANY reason."

Momoko leaned over and kissed me to assuage my fears. Thankfully, it seemed to work.

"I'll just be careful around her, okay? I'm not liable to blow my top unless I really need to."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at that. My girlfriend always knew just what to say. "I'll keep that in mind."

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"Wooooooow, this is where you guys live?!" Ichiyou exclaimed as we arrived back at the hotel. I think it's safe to say that she likes this place. "That's AWESOME, you guys!"

"We're looking for a place we can stay, but for now, this ritzy little place is our home," Yuki giggled. "Okaa-san used to work here a long time ago, before we were born."

"You guys are so lucky," Ichiyou quipped right as her cell phone rang. "Yello? Oh, hey, mom. Yeah, I'm all right. I was staying with a few of Nick's friends until the weather blew over. Yes, mom, I'm okay. I'll be home soon, all right?"

Ichiyou hung up her phone. "Sorry, guys, I gotta scram for home. Mom was worried about me during the freaky weather."

To my honest surprise, Ichiyou leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.

"Don't worry, Nick. That one will be our little secret, okay?"

"M-my lips are sealed."

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"M-my lord..." Gargos stumbled blindly back into the Delegates of Darkness headquarters, still blindsided by the destruction of the Precursor Robot.

"The Precursor Robot was destroyed, Gargos," Jeff proclaimed. Oddly, he didn't seem angry.

"I am extremely sorry, my lord. I hope you can find it in your soul to forgive me for my failure..."

"There is no need for dramatics, Gargos."

"M-my lord?!"

"We have another Precursor Robot on standby."

"Y-you mean the one that's going to..."

"Indeed, Gargos. However, the problem seems to be that we used the one you lost as it was. Perhaps, if we are to deter my children from doing the same to the other one we have, we must make some modifications of our own."

"What would you have me do, my lord?"

"Go to the construction area and oversee the progress of the modifications. It seems that merely using just the power of the Precursors isn't enough. We must add a modern touch."

"Yes, my lord!"

And with that, Gargos walked out of the throne room.

Jeff turned around, gazing once again at the Precursor writing on the slab that sat behind him. This passage talked about a strange dark power that had come from the ancient days and eventually became the cause of the twilight kingdom's destruction.

"If only I could harness that darkness... we would be unstoppable..."

Gargos looked up at the gigantic robot that stood before him. It was another Precursor Robot that had been unearthed from the ancient ruins, much like the one he had piloted to combat Yuki until she had destroyed it.

Now, Gargos was overseeing the construction efforts to modify this robot and make it stand more of a fighting chance when it was time to deploy it.

"Such magnificence," Gargos proclaimed. "The Precursors never thought we would harness their power to enslave this world."

"They weren't omnipotent, dummy."

Gargos growled hatefully, turning around to face who else but Black Waltz Three.

"What is your business here, Waltz?! Didn't the master send you off on an errand?!"

"Already taken care of," Waltz shot back. "I'm just here to make sure your sorry ass isn't messing anything up."

Gargos' hands trembled, begging him to strangle Waltz right then and there, but with Jeff's presence around the area, he didn't dare.

"The construction is going smoothly," Gargos replied, putting his temper in check for now. "We only need two more power cells and it will be fully operational."

"I believe our excavation team will take care of that," Waltz stated.

"Where are they looking?" Gargos asked. "You know how tricky it is finding such artifacts, especially with the glut of treasure hunters popping up recently!"

"Rest assured, Gargos, everything is being taken care of," Jeff proclaimed, walking into the room.

"My lord," Gargos stated, bowing respectfully.

"Our excavators are combing every ruin we can find for the artifacts necessary to bring our machine to life," Jeff stated. "It will not be much longer before we can open the silos and flood this world with darkness."

Gargos smiled wickedly, despite Waltz's presence.

_And then this world will be ours._

"_No one is yet sure what to attribute to yesterday's crazy weather attack, but everything seems to be back to normal, with a beautiful week in the plans! Stay tuned for your local weather!"_

I reached out to turn the television off. Why do I keep forgetting to turn it off?!

That's one of my more... shall we say, "interesting" quirks. I'll often watch TV for a while at night until I'm too sleepy to keep watching, and then I turn off the TV and fall into dreamworld.

Why do I do that? Don't ask me, because I have no freakin' clue.

It was by this point that I noticed that Yuki wasn't in the bed with me. Usually we wake up at the same time, recent events notwithstanding.

"I'm in the bathroom, Nick-kun! I'm just getting ready!"

Oh. Okay, mind, you can stop freaking out now.

Once Yuki stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed and ready for a new day, I secretly began to hope that we could go out somewhere today and not get dragged into a disaster. That Storm Station nonsense was insane.

"So, sis, where are we off to today?" I asked.

I couldn't help but immediately notice Yuki's bright smile. "We're going to Central Studio today!"

"Central Studio?" I echoed. "We ever only went there because you wanted to..."

Yuki cut me off with a giggle and opened her cell phone to show me. The message on the tiny LCD screen surprised me.

_Hey, Yuki-chan! It's been a long time, hasn't it?! I just figured I'd send a text your way to let you know that I'm gonna be home today! So get your big brother and meet me at Central Studio in a few hours, okay? I reeeeally wanna catch up!_

_~Many kisses, Sayoko Kurumi~_

"K-Kurumi-chan?" I gasped. "She's coming home?! After all this time?"

"Three years, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed. "Can you imagine how much she must have learned from traveling all over the world?! Ooh, I'm so jealous that she gets to do something like that!"

"She's a model, sis," I stated. "It comes with the territory."

"What are we waiting for, onii-chan?! Let's get to the studio!" Yuki exclaimed, dashing for the closet.

That's my sister for you, huh?

To be honest, though, I'm excited as well. It's been a really long time since we've been able to just hang out with some of our childhood friends, and this would probably be a good chance to reconnect.

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"And there's my favorite fighting siblings!" Moriko exclaimed as we passed by the Takahashi Greenhouse on our way to Central Studio. "What's the good word today?"

"Oh, we're going to Central Studio to meet a very special friend," Yuki giggled.

This seemed to get a rise out of Moriko, as she snapped up from the flowers she was tending to. "Wait, you can't possibly be talking about..."

"We are! Kurumi-chan's coming back to town!" Yuki exclaimed.

"She's been on a world tour for three years, and NOW she decides to come back?!" Moriko exclaimed.

In case any of you are wondering what I'm talking about, we're referring to another of Yuki's childhood friends, the famous child model Sayoko Kurumi. She hit it off when she was eleven and went on a world tour to show off her modeling skills. A lot of people have noted her similarities to Yuki, and if you put them together in just the right way, no one would be able to tell them apart, they look that much alike. However, even when they're copying each other's looks, I can tell them apart easily. How, you may ask? Just look at the eyes. Yuki's eyes tend to sparkle, while Kurumi's eyes have a tendency to shine. It's really something you could only catch if you pay attention like we do.

"Well, being a model is probably really demanding, especially at her age," Yuki admitted. "It couldn't have been easy for her, you know..."

"I'm just glad she's finally back," I stated. "We've got the entire group with us again!"

"I'd go with you guys if I wasn't stuck tending to the flowers," Moriko groaned.

"Kasumi-san out today?" Yuki asked.

"Unfortunately," Moriko quipped.

Funny thing, that: Moriko's birth mother died when she was very young, and eventually her father remarried. Though Kasumi was a nice woman, as far as everyone could tell, Moriko didn't really like the idea of Kasumi becoming her mother, so she completely ditched the wedding that followed. As time went on, Moriko warmed up to Kasumi, even though I'm still not sure how she really feels about her stepmother. She won't even talk to me about it, and she usually tells me everything!

"Just be sure to say merci to her for me, okay?" Moriko stated.

"Request accepted, Moriko-chan!" Yuki giggled.

Soon enough, we arrived at Central Studio, one of Misora's largest programming-related studios. They've literally got everything here that someone would need to make a television show here in this city, or hell, a show of any kind! This city's definitely evolving over the years, huh?

"She's late!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Actually, we're early," I replied. "You were so excited to see her that we made it to the studio an hour early."

"Y-yeah, I know, but..."

"That's just like you, mon ami!"

We both spun around and saw someone who looked almost exactly like Yuki did, the only difference being the hairstyle.

"Bonjour, my lovely witches!"

"KURUMI-CHAN!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing up to hug the model. "I really, really missed you!"

"Well, I have returned victorious!" Kurumi giggled. "Three years of traveling the world does a body good!"

That's another thing that Kurumi likes to flaunt, everybody: she looks very mature for her age. I personally find her quite beautiful, but don't tell Momoko I said that, got it?

"So where have you been going on your tour, Kurumi-chan?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, lots of places," Kurumi replied. "I'd be here all day if I talked about it."

"Why don't we take you back to the MAHO-dou and show you around? We made a lot of changes since you left!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Of course! I've got time, so show me the way, mon cheri!" Kurumi proclaimed.

So we decided to walk back to the Twin Bells MAHO-dou, but if I'd decided to pay attention, I would have noticed someone watching us from the shadows.

"Oh, étonnamment, this place really got a facelift!" Kurumi exclaimed when we arrived at the Twin Bells. "So you guys have been working here since I left?"

"Well... sort of," I stated, remembering what had happened a few years back. "The original Twin Bells was destroyed by Nightmare..."

"After we came to work at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou, the girls used a Magical Stage to remodel it into a new Twin Bells just for us," Yuki giggled. "One of the best things they've ever done for us..."

"You guys have been pretty busy, huh?" Kurumi stated. "Sou ka, sou ka..."

Just then, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I quickly spun around and summoned Nenshou Hikari, hoping to scare off whoever was watching us.

But apparently, no one was there.

"Something up, onii-chan?" Yuki asked.

"I could swear someone's watching us..." I quipped. "I don't think it's the Delegates of Darkness, but I'm sure there was someone there..."

"You don't think Kurumi-chan's got a stalker, do you?" Yuki asked.

"I'll bet it's that kid again..." Kurumi growled. "When will he get the picture that I'm not interested in him that way?!"

I waved my hand to get Kurumi to calm down, knowing who she was referring to. "I don't think Shiro-kun would do that. Despite his massive crush on you, I don't think he'd go as far as stalking you."

"Who am I to know how their minds work?" Kurumi responded. "I've dealt with a lot of crazy fans over my career. The best way to get paparazzi to stop stalking you is to throw a few tables at them!"

Yuki and I both sweatdropped at that proclamation. She's actually not kidding, people. Someone tried to get a few pictures of Kurumi in her home one time, and Kurumi actually threw a table at the guy! Yeah, Kurumi's definitely not the type to just stand by and let the paparazzi mess around with her.

"You really know how to stick it to them, don't you, Kurumi-chan?" Yuki giggled.

"Yeah, those camera-toting soubresauts know not to mess with me," Kurumi proudly proclaimed, touting more French proverbs. God, why does she always like speaking in languages that I'll never be able to understand for the life of me?! It was hard enough to learn how to speak English, even if Momoko is the best English tutor someone could ever have.

Suddenly, Kurumi's cell phone rang. I figured it was probably her manager Yamasaki. Kurumi lost both of her parents in a house fire when she was young, and Yamasaki became her caretaker and eventual agent for her modeling career. Kurumi really doesn't like to talk about that.

"Merci. I'll be right there."

Kurumi closed her phone. "Peiné, you two, I've gotta get back to the studio. It was great catching up with you guys! Let's please do it again sometime!"

"You, too, Kurumi-chan!" Yuki giggled, dashing forward and hugging the gray witch. "We still have lots more catching up to do!"

"That we do," Kurumi stated. "So, until next time, adieu, my fellow witches!"

And with that, Kurumi dashed off in the opposite direction.

And this time, I definitely noticed someone skulking about the shadows, following Kurumi on her run.

"Nick-kun, should we follow Kurumi-chan and see if we can catch this stalker freak?" Yuki asked.

"Nailed it on the head," I replied.

So we decided to follow Kurumi on her way back to Central Studio, watching the shadows for any sign of the sick freak that was tailing her.

I'll admit, I do kinda feel like a spy, taking in my surroundings and using them to my advantage, but that's kinda the point of being sneaky like this. It helps with the immersion.

However, by the time we got back to the studio, we hadn't seen hide nor hair of this weirdo. Seriously, how hard can it be to find a stalker that doesn't even know how to stalk the right way? We should have caught this jerkoff by now!

"Hey, Kurumi-chan!" a voice called out from far off. A boy about Kurumi's age rushed up to her, looking excited as hell.

"Hey, Shiro-kun," Kurumi giggled. Okay, guess Shiro really isn't the would-be stalker. So, then who the hell is it?

"I just wanted to wish you good luck in your shoot today!" Shiro exclaimed.

"Models like me don't need luck. We have skill," Kurumi proclaimed. "That's what gets us really far in this business."

"No sign of creepy stalker dude, Nick-kun," Yuki stated. "What should we do?"

All of a sudden, something came streaking down from the sky and snatched Kurumi away.

"What the hell?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"That was Waltz!" I shouted. "There's no way I'm gonna forget that foul stench of his. Come on, sis, let's go kick his face in!"

"Roger!" Yuki proclaimed, and we both rushed off to face Waltz.

Thankfully, it didn't take long to find where Waltz had taken her: the Skywhirl Tower. Seriously, this thing is like the Tokyo Tower of our city! Why does all this bad stuff have to happen there?!

"No time to think about it, Nick-kun! Let's transform and save Kurumi-chan!" Yuki exclaimed, bringing out her Spiritual Phone.

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I quickly performed our group pose after that. _"The world's youngest witches with the power to save the planet! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"All right, elevator up!" Yuki giggled. "Pururunu pikapikan chanchii! Take us to the top of the Skywhirl Tower!"

With that spell, we disappeared in a flash and reappeared on top of the Skywhirl Tower, where Waltz was holding Kurumi.

"You'd better let go of her, Waltz, or we're gonna smash your teeth out of that smug face of yours!" Yuki shouted.

"Hang on," Waltz proclaimed. "Am I seeing double? Why are there two of you, twilight princess?!"

"Because, freak," Kurumi shot back, slamming her elbow into Waltz's chest and allowing her to break free. "Our similarities are just coincidence, but I am definitely not the chéri you want to mess with."

Kurumi then pulled out her own Spiritual Phone. "Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"

Kurumi's body was surrounded by musical notes as she performed a few modeling poses. Once she was finished transforming, she did a windmill with her right hand before flashing a big thumbs up with her left hand.

"The shining silver, Kurumi-chi!"

"You brats are evidently more resourceful than I thought," Waltz proclaimed. "But as long as you're here, I might as well wipe all of you out at once! How fun would that be?!"

"Not much, from where I'm standing!" Kurumi exclaimed, crouching down and then leaping at Waltz with an extremely fast windmill kick that sent the psychopath reeling.

"Wow, Kurumi-chan's got the moves!" Yuki giggled.

"That I do," Kurumi stated. "Now stand back while I teach this nutball what I do to stalkers!"

Waltz recovered himself, looking extremely angry. "You are going to pay dearly for that, little girl!"

Kurumi simply waved her right hand in the 'bring it' motion.

Waltz dashed forward, but Kurumi ducked under the attack and struck back with a palm strike to the chest. Waltz didn't let that stop him, however, and decided to try a flying elbow drop. Thankfully, Kurumi was able to counter with a quick uppercut.

"Okay, this is getting boring," Kurumi giggled. "I think it's time I ended this, tout le monde."

Kurumi whipped out her wand as Waltz came back for yet another attempt. This time around, Kurumi intercepted him with a spinning slash attack. However, Kurumi kept spinning, doing what appeared to be continuous ballet twirls as she kept slashing at Waltz while spinning around him.

"This is the shine I bring to this life! Mystic Arte, Prism Windmill!" Kurumi shouted, spinning so fast that she eventually began to float into the air, taking Waltz up with her. Kurumi's spinning eventually produced a bright silver tornado of energy that tore at Waltz mercilessly. After a while of this, Kurumi dropped down to the ground while using her wand to slash through the silver tornado, causing it to explode and send Waltz flying.

"How's that on you?" Kurumi taunted, proud of herself.

"Ugh... defeated by a teenage model... I assure you, this isn't over," Waltz growled before vanishing in a shower of black feathers.

Kurumi turned back to us and smiled. "And that, mon ami, is how Sayoko Kurumi deals with creepy perverted stalkers."

"Can we please get off this tower before something else happens that's bad?" Yuki asked. "After what we just went through with the Storm Station, I kinda don't want to be here anymore than I have to."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"H-hey, don't laugh, onii-chan!"

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"Wait a second, chéri, you two live in a hotel?" Kurumi asked once we'd returned to the hotel. "Is everything okay at home?"

I guess I should have figured she'd be confused about this. So, for the next ten minutes or so, Yuki and I filled Kurumi in on everything that happened since she left for her tour, since she had left Misora right before our very first encounter with the Delegates of Darkness.

"Jeez," Kurumi quipped. "That's gotta be rough."

"Tell me about it," Yuki replied. "They've been harassing us nonstop for three years now, and I'm honestly getting sick of it..."

"Add that to what dear old dad's been doing, and it all equals a pretty rough lifestyle," I finished. "But we're getting by pretty well. I'm still keeping my promise to Yuki-chan, right?"

"Yep," Yuki giggled, leaning affectionately against me.

"Good for you two," Kurumi stated, smiling brightly herself. "Hey, if you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask me, all right? That's what friends are for."

"We promise, Kurumi-chan," Yuki replied.

"All right, mon ami, I'm off for real this time! See you around!" Kurumi exclaimed as she rushed off.

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"My lord," Gargos proclaimed, bowing to Jeff as he entered the construction room.

"Are things still progressing well, Gargos?" Jeff asked.

"For the most part," Gargos responded. "The modifications are almost complete. The only difficulty we've encountered is getting the machinery to accept our power cells."

"The fault of the Precursors," Jeff stated. "To foil anyone who would wish to use their technology for evil purposes. They were smart, but that does not mean they will foil us. The excavation team has already found a Precursor power cell in the Moon Ruins. Only two more and we will have full control of this Precursor Robot."

"That is wonderful news, my lord."

It was then that Gargos noticed that Jeff wasn't wearing his normal robes, but instead chose to don a flexible new battle suit whipped up by the R&D department.

"My lord, why are you wearing your battle suit?"

Jeff stared at Gargos as he walked down the steps of his throne. "I believe it is time to break it in. Recent events have forced me to take a more personal role in the battles that lie ahead."

"Your kids, my lord?"

"Indeed, Gargos. My children are becoming a thorn in our side that must be removed. I will go to the city and see what I can do to get rid of them."

"They do not know that you are our leader, my lord. Perhaps, if I could make a suggestion..."

"I am listening, Gargos."

"I have noticed that the Shinoya girl has been extremely distressed ever since you became the vessel."

"I see where you are heading. Keep talking."

"She does not understand why you have changed so much. That is something we could use to our advantage."

"Yes. With just the right amount of prodding, we can eliminate her from the scenario once and for all."

Gargos smiled wickedly. "How will we go about this, my lord?"

"You leave that to me, Gargos. I know what exactly to do."

Gargos turned around to accept a regal-looking battle staff from one of the technicians and hand it to Jeff.

"It is almost time to claim this world as our own, Gargos. Are you excited?"

"Oh, absolutely, my lord. Those who would deny us our rightful claim do not deserve to exist."

"Then let us take back what is rightfully ours."

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"It's another beautiful day!"

I couldn't help but grin at my sister's infectious enthusiasm. We've had a really nice string of beautiful weather ever since the Storm Station incident was wrapped up.

But still...

I've got this nagging feeling in my mind that something's gonna go down today, and that same feeling is telling me I won't like the results...

I don't know if it's a prophetic dream or my instincts just bugging me again like they tend to do.

But I guess I'll go ahead and cross that bridge when we come to it.

"I'd better call Leaf-chan. I'm sure she's fidgeting in whatever she's sitting in," I quipped. Ichiyou and I always call each other at least once a day because we can't see each other that often, due to the Kitakaze family's busy work schedule that often leaves Ichiyou home alone to take care of her rambunctious little brother.

I reached for my cell phone as Yuki prepared to go on another date with Saiki.

Ah, I can still remember the days when I was adamantly against that. Back in the days when I still didn't particularly trust Saiki.

"_Is there a problem, Nick-kun?"_

"_You're damn right there's a problem, you jerk! I don't know what lies you wove to put my sister under her spell, but you stay away from her, got it?!"_

"_When did I weave any lies?"_

"_Don't give me that load of crap! You have no idea how much she means to me!"_

I'll admit, I acted pretty rashly back then. But Yuki's still my sister, the most precious person in my life, so how else was I supposed to act when I thought Saiki was going to take her away from me?

Yet another downfall of my hardwired big brother instincts.

"Hey, everything okay, onii-chan?" Yuki asked, sitting down by me. "You've got that look on your face that means you're thinking about something."

"Just reminiscing, sis, that's all," I replied.

"I still remember how you flipped every time Saiki-kun asked me out on a date," Yuki giggled. God, how can she tell what I'm thinking half the time?!

"Yeah, but what's in the past is done, right?" I responded. "Even if it doesn't change the fact that I threatened him just because he was with you..."

To my surprise, Yuki just smiled, looping her arm around my shoulders. "Nick-kun, you've gotta stop living in the past. I've already accepted that the only reason you acted like that is because you were scared of losing me, which I assure you is never going to happen!"

Yuki leaned against me. "You mean so much to me, onii-chan. I don't even want to imagine losing you again..."

Even though I technically didn't die during that incident, but still...

"I've told you so many times that there's no one more important to me than you..." Yuki continued.

"_Nick-kun, what's this all about?! Why are you so mad at me?"_

"_Because I apparently don't mean anything to you now that you've got him."_

"_...Nick-kun, is __**that**__ what this is all about?"_

"_W-wha...?"_

"_Nick-kun, I want you to listen to me very carefully when I say this. Saiki-kun is my boyfriend, but there's no way in HECK he could ever replace you!"_

"_Then why are you spending all of your time with him lately?!"_

"_Because I want to get to know him better! That's what good girlfriends do!"_

"_And you completely neglected me in the progress..."_

"_Okay, I see how it is. Listen, Nick-kun, I talked this over with Saiki-kun, and..."_

'_...here it comes...'_

"_...we both agreed that you were the most precious person to me."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Nick-kun, did you really think I was just going to abandon you when I met Saiki-kun? No way! Look, my onii-chan will always be the most important person in my life. Saiki-kun says he feels the same way about Akatsuki-kun. So you don't have to worry! Remember what I said? No matter who I fall in love with, there's no one I'll love more than my onii-chan."_

"...so please don't forget that, okay, onii-chan?"

I had to smile at that, reaching out to hug my little sister. "Okay, Yuki-chan."

Man, we've been through so much drama in our lives, huh? Guess it comes with the territory of being magic users.

"So, what do you want to do today, Yuki-chan?" I asked.

Yuki's smile brightened considerably. "Let's go visit mom. I really miss her."

"You realize we may have to tell her about our... abilities?" I replied.

"At least we don't have the curse to worry about anymore, right?"

To be honest, I _am _worried about mom. How does she feel knowing that we flew the coop just because we wouldn't stand for what dad was doing to us?

Guess all we can really do is take it by ear and hope for the best.

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Rhea Kelly herself looked out the window of her apartment, smiling at the rising sun.

"I wonder how they're doing?" Rhea asked. She'd heard that her children were staying at the Through The Night Hotel, just as she'd instructed, realizing that they'd finally had enough of Jeff's abusive personality.

Even Rhea herself wasn't sure why her husband had changed so much, but as long as her kids were doing okay, she could take it with a grain of salt.

Suddenly, she heard a strange noise. Rhea immediately snapped to her feet, searching for the source of the noise.

"Is... is someone here?" Rhea asked tentatively. She immediately shifted into a fighting stance, ready to fend off a possible attacker.

However, the blade that was suddenly edging dangerously close to her throat made her rethink that strategy.

"Hello, my dear."

"Wh-who the hell are you?!" Rhea asked, attempting to not show any fear, adopting a motto Nick liked to use ("In a crisis, you can't show any fear, or you're dead"). However, with the blade right at her throat, it was becoming hard to do.

"Simply a leader who needs to eliminate two troublesome variables from our plans," the shadowed figure proclaimed.

"What do you want with me?! And more importantly, what do you want with my kids?!" Rhea shouted.

"Your meddlesome children have been a thorn in our side for far too long," the figure continued. "And so I figured it was time to eliminate the problem at the source."

"You must not be a really good leader if you're getting your rear ends handed to you by a bunch of kids," Rhea shot back.

"You shut your mouth, woman, or I'll cut your pretty little throat right here," the figure growled.

"Why don't you do it now?" Rhea challenged. "Spare yourself the hassle?"

"Because I want them to suffer," the figure stated. "I know that I can truly break them if I make them see that they've lost both of their precious parents."

Rhea was confused by this statement, until she realized something that slowly began to horrify her.

The figure's voice was starting to sound strangely familiar to her.

She looked backwards, making sure the blade didn't slash her neck, and gasped in horror at what she saw.

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"Well, here we are," Yuki giggled as we stopped right in front of the apartment that our mother had gone to live at when dad had started... well, you know by now.

"Ahh, memories," I quipped. "Wasn't this the place where Miyoko-jou-san used to live?"

"I think so," Yuki replied. "Then she moved out of the country because of the divorce proceedings..."

"Her ex was an asshole. I have no problem admitting that," I proclaimed, clenching my fists just thinking of that jerk. While he made me angry with what he did, it didn't really compare to my rage for dad.

Yuki walked up to the door and knocked twice on it. No response.

"Okaa-san? Are you home?" Yuki asked, knocking on the door again.

"Maybe she went to the store," I wondered. "They are having that big sale today."

"Good thing the store's not that far from here," Yuki stated. "Come on, Nick-kun, let's go!"

But just as Yuki was about to start dragging me along like she tended to do when she got excited, I felt it again.

It was the same ominous feeling from this morning.

Why now, though?

"What's wrong, onii-chan?" Yuki asked, noticing my odd expression.

"Do you feel anything... strange, Yuki-chan?" I wondered.

"Like what?"

"Like... the feeling that something's about to go horribly wrong for some reason?"

Yuki just shook her head. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

I was about to answer when my gaze snapped back to the apartment door. There it was again!

"Onii-chan, what's...?"

I didn't waste any time lifting my foot and thrusting it forward with all the force I could muster, instantly forcing the door open and revealing a scene that absolutely scared me.

An armored dude, no doubt part of the Delegates of Darkness, was holding my mother with a knife at her throat.

Now I honestly didn't care whether or not mom sees my magic. This isn't a time to be hesitating.

"_Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_ I shouted, summoning my weapon into my hands.

"Nick-kun, don't do that where other people can..." Yuki started, but trailed off when she saw what was going on.

"Well, well. If it isn't the brats," the dude proclaimed. "How nice to finally meet you in person."

"I'm only going to say this once," I growled. "So listen and listen good, you black-suited son of a bitch. Let go of my mother _this instant_, or I swear to god, I'm gonna cut your freakin' head clean off those arrogant shoulders of yours!"

I was acting like I wasn't scared, but believe me, I'm scared out of my mind knowing that one false move is going to get my mom killed. It's like my mom said, you can't show any fear in a crisis or you're dead.

"Why so angry?" the dude responded. "I'm only here to visit and claim what's rightfully ours."

"What's your problem?! Can't you jerks just leave us the hell alone?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"And I'm going to guess by the shinier outfit and the way you project yourself like a smug asshole that you're their leader?" I proclaimed.

"Indeed," the dude replied. "You seem to catch on pretty quickly."

"Good, because I've been itching to stomp you ever since we learned about your organization," I growled, whipping Nenshou Hikari around defensively.

"Nick-kun, we need to strategize here," Yuki whispered. "One false move and okaa-san is a goner!"

"Let's try flanking him," I replied. "Our first priority is getting that knife away from mom's throat."

"Roger," Yuki stated.

"Look at the little children making small talk," the dude proclaimed. "You two have been a thorn in our side for long enough. As the leader of the Delegates of Darkness, I will personally see to it that you never interfere with our plans again."

"Don't count on it, asshole!" I exclaimed, rushing forward and leaping at the dude so I could slash at his arm and make him drop the knife, giving me the time to elbow him in the stomach. Rhea got out of there as fast as she could, retreating to a nearby hallway.

"No more leverage," I proclaimed, readying Nenshou Hikari. "The gloves are about to come off."

I rushed forward with every intent of skewering this arrogant jerk.

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at the dude with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at the on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte! Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto the dude's head.

"Yuki-chan, keep the pressure up!" I shouted.

"Got it, onii-chan! _Snap, Tobiume!_" Yuki replied, summoning her own weapon and going on the offensive.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki shouted, swinging her weapon in an arc that sent out a wave of lightning blasts, enough to stun the dude in his spot.

"_Mystic Arte! Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, this time performing an overhead slash that created a giant black-and-blue energy crescent to slash at the dude and do some considerable damage.

The force of that attack sent the dude flying into the wall. Apparently, it also knocked his mask off. Good, now we can see who this jerk really is!

...and suddenly, I wished I hadn't even thought that.

Because when the dude picked himself up, and I got a good look at his face, I finally let my fear show on my own face.

This was... this was...

Hell, I don't even know _what_ this is!

Why am I acting so freaked out, you ask?

Because that man, the leader of the Delegates of Darkness...

...is our father, Jeff Kelly.

My own father is the spearhead of the organization that's been trying to kill us for the past two years.

While it makes sense now why dad changed so drastically recently, now I'm wishing I hadn't seen this.

I looked back at Yuki, who looked just as shocked as I was. In fact, she looked like she was going to burst into tears at any second.

Not that I can blame her.

"Are you surprised?" Jeff proclaimed. "Shocked to see that your father is behind everything?"

I shook my head in denial. "No. No, this can't be right. It may sound cliché, but you _can't_ be my father!"

"Denying it will only break you further," Jeff responded. "This is the truth. Accept it or die."

Jeff then flicked his hands out and threw a set of knives straight at Yuki.

Moving faster than I thought my legs could ever carry me, I positioned myself in front of Yuki and swung Nenshou Hikari hard enough to deflect the knives and send them falling harmlessly to the floor.

"All right, _dad_, I've had about all I can stand of this," I growled. "First you constantly assault your own daughter, then you take my mother hostage, and _now_ you try and kill my sister?! Well, father, you just crossed a line you weren't meant to cross!"

With one deciding slash, I rushed forward and knocked Jeff backwards. But I wasn't done yet. Nenshou Hikari began to shine with multiple colors.

"Embrace your pride during your eternal slumber!" I chanted as I swung Nenshou Hikari horizontally, creating an expulsion of ice energy that cut into Jeff multiple times.

"Descend into ashes and scatter into nothingness!" I continued, tossing Nenshou Hikari forward so it spun above Jeff, creating a vortex of wind that caused even more damage. I called my weapon back so I could prepare for my final strike, raising it high above my head.

"Mystic Arte! Eternal Descent!" I chanted, slamming Nenshou Hikari into the ground and creating an energy upheaval that slashed at Jeff from below.

"Pointless, boy," Jeff proclaimed. "Your pitiful attacks will do nothing."

"Oh, yeah?!" Yuki shouted, finally finding the feeling in her legs. Her angel wings appeared on her back.

"Come, o hazy moon, and send my foes to the coffin of hell!" Yuki shouted, drawing Tobiume and infusing it with her divine power as she slashed fiercely at Jeff before delivering a powerful vertical slash that sent him flying back. Yuki quickly raised her free hand and called on her magic to encase Jeff in a gigantic orb of twilight energy. With that, she aimed her glowing weapon straight for the man who calls himself our father.

"Mystic Arte, Moonlight Javelin!" Yuki shouted, throwing her sparkling blade like a javelin straight into Jeff, causing the sphere to explode and knock him back against the wall, actually doing some damage this time.

"Snap _out of it_, otou-san!" Yuki exclaimed. "This isn't who you are!"

"Wrong, girl," Jeff growled. "This is who I always have been. We are the people who will reclaim this world from you unworthy scum. The world will be cleansed in darkness before long. You would do well to remember that."

I stood my ground, ready for whatever Jeff was going to pull.

Now, I really wish my feet could have moved a bit faster. Jeff spun his staff around and rushed at my mother, slamming the rather large blade into her chest.

For some reason, I couldn't move. I was rooted to the spot in shock.

Of all the times for my body to not want to respond...

Jeff retracted his staff before vanishing immediately after. Yuki didn't waste any time in rushing over to Rhea's mangled body.

"Okaa-san, please, _please_ stay with us!" Yuki shouted, nearly in tears. "Please don't die on us!"

Rhea didn't have any energy to respond. All she could do was reach out and touch Yuki's face.

"O-o-okaa-san, please don't leave us..."

"Yuki... I... I-I'm... so sorry..."

With those last words, Rhea fell to the ground, the last of her life fading away.

With that, I finally found feeling in my own legs and rushed up to Yuki just as she fell to her knees and burst out crying.

All I could really do was hug Yuki tightly. I couldn't say a word.

For god's sake, what _could_ I say?!

For once, I had no idea what to say to my sister.

Usually, I can always say something to comfort her when she's sad, but this is about a thousand times worse that things usually are.

I mean, our mother is _dead_, and our father wants _us_ dead.

I'm honestly shocked that _I_ haven't burst into tears by this point.

"N-N-Nick-kun..." Yuki gasped before crying more.

"Don't," I immediately responded, holding Yuki closer to me. "Don't say anything, Yuki-chan. I promise you, he's not going to get away with this..."

Yuki just nodded before sobbing even louder. This finally prompted me to shed a few tears as well.

As Yuki's tortured wails became louder and louder, I could only think of making dad pay for what he's done.

As far as I'm concerned, that bastard isn't our father anymore.

"Um, excuse me?" someone asked. I should have figured that someone in the apartment complex would have heard the chaos. The young lady only took two steps before seeing our mother's dead body. "I heard some noises, and I thought... oh, dear god!"

"Call the ambulance," I stated matter-of-factly. "Please..."

The lady nodded and rushed over to the nearby phone to call both the ambulance and the police.

"Yuki-chan... this isn't the end. I'm not gonna give up just because of this," I stated. Yuki looked up at me through tear-stained eyes. "We're gonna find that bastard no matter what it takes, and we're going to freakin' _end_ him. In mom's memory, I swear I won't let him get away with what he's done."

Despite my own tears, I couldn't help but smile. "Nankurunaisa, remember?"

Yuki nodded before collapsing into my shoulder and crying even louder.

Mom... rest in peace, wherever you are... I thought as I comforted my grief-stricken sister.

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"That was magnificent, master."

Jeff stepped back onto his throne, his staff still glowing brightly. "I did what I must."

"Not to be contradictory, my lord, but I do not know if just this will be enough. Those two will probably be gunning for us even more now that their mother is dead."

"Let them. They will soon see that all of their resistance is pointless."

Gargos nodded before walking away.

"You seem nervous, buddy."

"I thought I told you never to call me that, Waltz."

Waltz just sneered. "You seem to understand that whatever happened to that boy's mother could easily happen to you if you keep on failing the master."

"I don't see _you_ performing any better, Waltz! You should have realized that the girl now possesses the divine power!"

"Well, excuse me for finding a possible opening in her defenses!"

Gargos simply scoffed. He wasn't about to let his mood be ruined by this psychopath. "You know what? I'm not even going to keep arguing with you. It just isn't worth it. You go back and check on the construction site. I have a few errands to run."

And with that, Gargos turned away from Waltz and vanished.

"Poor, deluded Gargos. He has no idea what I am planning, especially in this place where master's ears can't pick up my plans."

Waltz looked up to the ceiling of the headquarters. "Just a little more time, and I can make my move..."

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I couldn't really say anything.

Seriously, what could I say?!

All I could do was watch as the casket that held our deceased mother was slowly lowered into the ground. This is always the worst part of funerals, in my opinion.

Dying means dead, and dead means no coming back, no matter how much you wish for it to be otherwise.

I learned that from a spirit I'd helped for one of my witch exams. It was sad, but it really didn't hit home to me until just now, because the spirit I'd helped was already dead.

This was a much more personal loss, made even worse that our mother is dead because of our father, who turned out to be the head honcho of the Delegates of Darkness.

I think Yuki took it the hardest. She's still crying, even a few days after it happened.

And trust me when I say this, readers, that Yuki gets very emotional in certain situations. I still remember when our cousin left Misora. Yuki had practically jumped her and begged her not to leave.

"R-rest in peace, okaa-san..." Yuki gasped, the first words I'd heard from her in a good few hours.

I still couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't be some futile attempt at consolation or something I've already said a million times over.

Hey, our mother's dead, what the hell do you expect me to say?!

Once the service was finished, and we managed to make words with some of our distant relatives, Yuki and I found ourselves just outside the funeral home, unsure of what we were going to do now.

I could tell that Yuki was worried about something in particular. Honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing.

"N-Nick-kun? I..."

"I know. It's not gonna be easy telling the others about this..."

I looked up at the midday sky. It was still a bright and sunny day, despite the heavy mood that still hung around the building.

"Nick-kun? What are we supposed to do now?"

"Huh? What do you mean, sis?"

"Our father's trying to kill us, and he's already taken someone we love away from us!" Yuki exclaimed. "How are we supposed to fight him if he keeps trying to break our hearts like this?!"

Yuki looked down, attempting to stymie her tears with little success. "How are we supposed to fight our own father?"

I clenched my fist tightly. "Yuki-chan, as far as I'm concerned, that son of a bitch isn't our father anymore."

Yuki looked at me, obviously surprised by such a bold statement.

"That bastard crossed the line when he slaughtered mom," I proclaimed. "Even after everything he did to you, I was still holding out a glimmer of hope that he could be saved. But after seeing how far into the darkness he's fallen, I don't think there's any way to save him."

"Nick-kun, didn't you always say that there's a chance to save anyone, no matter how far they fall?" Yuki wondered.

"Yeah, but now I'm beginning to question that statement myself," I admitted. I don't often question things I say. I always go for my straight and honest opinion, because I hate it when people sugarcoat stuff to me.

"When I saw that look in dad's eyes... that condescending, calm and smug look on his face... it was the only hint I needed that dad's fallen too far into the darkness to be saved," I continued. "I mean, what he did to you is already inexcusable, but..."

I sighed heavily. "If I ever see that bastard again, I'm not holding anything back. I'll make him rue the day he sold his soul to the darkness."

"I've... never heard you talk so boldly about something like this, onii-chan," Yuki replied, and I was definitely happy to see her calming down a little. It definitely couldn't have been easy for her, bearing the brunt of both our sorrows. These past couple days, it's felt like she'd cried enough tears for both of us.

As a big brother, it's my duty to make sure that she only cries tears of happiness. Call it the most cliché thing you've ever heard if you want, but it's honestly how I feel.

"I'm just saying what I feel," I admitted. "You know that I don't like it when people try to dress things up just to satisfy me. I don't know why dad gave himself up to the darkness, but I promise he's not going to get away with what he's done... especially for what he's done to you."

To my immense relief, Yuki smiled and leaned affectionately against me.

"I... even if okaa-san's gone... I still have my onii-chan, right?" Yuki replied. "You won't leave me, will you?"

"Like I'd ever," I immediately responded.

Yuki smiled a little brighter while still allowing herself to cry.

"Hey, sis?"

"Yes, onii-chan?"

"You can cry if you want to," I stated. "No one's gonna judge you for it. You don't ever have to feel like you aren't allowed to cry."

Surprising me a little, Yuki managed a giggle.

"Wasn't I the one who always said that to you?"

"That doesn't mean I can't use a similar sentiment!"

Yuki laughed a bit, then leaned over and hugged me. "But, still... thank you, Nick-kun. Thanks for telling me what I needed to hear..."

"We'll get through this. Nankurunaisa, remember?"

Yuki nodded, clutching me a little tighter.

"But how are we going to go about finding a place to live? We can't stay at the hotel forever, especially now that okaa-san is gone..."

Oh, jeez, I'd almost forgotten about that. Before I could react to that, though, an idea popped into my head.

"Why don't we see if Momoko will take us in?" I proposed.

Yuki gasped out loud. "Do you really think she would?"

"We really don't have anything to lose, do we?"

With that in mind, we made our way to the Asuka household.

As we did, I thought back to everything that dad had put us through since he 'changed'. I don't know why I hadn't realized it before, and I really wish that we hadn't figured it out the way we did.

He'd better hope we never cross paths again, or I'm gonna personally send that bastard to hell.

And yes, I know I've said that a good few times, but it's the truth.

When we arrived at my girlfriend's humble abode, I reached out to knock twice on the door.

After a few seconds, Momoko herself appeared in the doorway.

"Momo-chan..." was all Yuki could say before flinging herself into Momoko's arms.

"I heard what happened..." Momoko answered, returning Yuki's hug. "That's gotta be horrible, losing a part of your family..."

"That's not even the worst part," I continued. "You might not believe this, Momoko, but our father is the reason mom's dead."

"What?!" Momoko exclaimed. I wasn't surprised in the least by her reaction. "Your father?! Did he flip his lid or something?!"

"He's the leader of the Delegates of Darkness," I explained. "He... he slaughtered mom right in front of us..."

Momoko gasped even louder, unable to respond to that.

"That's... actually part of the reason we're here," I finished. "We don't really have a place to stay anymore, since we can't stay at the hotel forever, and there's no way we can go back to our own house with dad and his goon squad still gunning for us. So we came by because we wanted to ask... is it okay if we live with you and your family for a while?"

Momoko immediately smiled at my request. "Let me go talk with mom about it, okay? You two come in and sit down; you look like you've literally been through hell."

So we sat down on the couch in the living room as Momoko went to go talk to her parents about my proposition.

"Nick-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I'm actually still a little scared... could you hold me, please?"

Now how could I say no to a request like that?

I leaned over and wrapped my arms around Yuki's quivering body. I can easily understand that she'd still be a little shaken, considering the circumstances. Seeing your mother slaughtered right in front of you would be enough to, at the very least, freak out anyone.

"Thank you, onii-chan..."

After about twenty minutes, I heard footsteps approaching, looking over the couch to see Momoko walking up with her mother Minori and father Kenzou. They all looked perfectly calm. Not gonna jump to conclusions just yet, though...

"It must be hard on you two," Minori proclaimed. "I couldn't imagine what you've gone through..."

"I heard that you asked Momoko if you could stay with us for a while," Kenzou continued.

"We don't have any relatives living in Misora," I responded. "And I kinda don't feel like leaving Misora yet..."

"In that case, we'd love to have you two around," Minori stated, smiling brightly.

Yuki's expression perked up considerably at this. "You... you mean it?!"

Yuki immediately hopped to her feet, and rushed over to glomp Momoko. "You guys are the greatest!"

"Consider it my thanks for everything you guys have done for me," Momoko giggled.

"That reminds me, if we're gonna be living here, we'd better make one more trip to the hotel and get all of our stuff," I realized. "We brought a lot of things with us..."

"I'll go get the guest room set up for you two, then," Momoko replied. "I assume you'll both be sharing the same room?"

"Pretty much," Yuki admitted. "Nick-kun and I have been sharing our room ever since we were kids. It wouldn't feel right to stop now."

It was nice to see some of the sparkle in Yuki's eyes come back to life while conversing with the Asuka family.

A few hours later...

Yuki, Momoko, and I were now sitting in the guest room, which was pretty much now our room, talking about recent events and what we were going to do about the Delegates of Darkness.

"They must know that you'll be gunning for them even more now that you know who their leader is," Momoko quipped.

"Oh, that's putting it mildly, Momoko," I replied. "If I ever see him again, he's gonna wish he was never born."

"I just wish we had some idea of where their stupid headquarters is," Yuki continued. "It'd be easier to find them and tear their faces a new one."

I looked out the window, vividly remembering the time when Doremi and Momoko had been captured by the Delegates of Darkness, and I'd been forced to infiltrate their headquarters to save them. However, when I left the fortress, it was gone, as if it'd never existed. So that means I have no idea where their new hideout is, either.

"Regardless, I'm keeping my eye on all of them," I stated, "'cause I'm sure that we're in no way done with them just yet."

"W-what do you mean, Nick-kun?" Yuki asked.

"Think about it, Yuki-chan. They're obviously still up to something, but I just don't know what it is. I mean, even though we're thwarted three of their plans already – the Ifrit, mister giant golem thing, and the Storm Station – I have this uneasy feeling that they've still got some sort of master plan up their dirty sleeves. Also consider that they've pretty much left us alone since mom died. That's gotta mean they're working on whatever their big plan is. Next time I see one of them, I'm gonna grill them for info. Maybe if we shut this plan down, we might be able to stop them for good."

"Do you think it'll work?" Momoko asked. "You know how persistent they are, especially when it comes to you two and how much you've set them back."

"I just consider that motivation for us to finish them off once and for all," I continued. "I don't want those bastards breathing down our necks for the rest of our lives."

"Well, the girls and I want you two to know that you have our support," Momoko proclaimed. "We'll do anything we can to help you guys take those creeps out of the picture.."

"Thank you so much, Momo-chan," Yuki sighed, hugging Momoko again. "We really do have the greatest friends in the world, don't we?"

"And trust me, Yuki-chan, we're not leaving your side anytime soon," Momoko giggled. "We look out for each other, remember?"

An hour later...

"So, what it's feel to have a new family?" Onpu asked. We had just arrived at the Twin Bells MAHO-dou for our daily magic practice.

"Momo-chan's the greatest," Yuki giggled. "She gave us sanctuary in our time of need, and I don't think I can ever thank her or her parents enough."

"So, how long will you be living with them?" Doremi asked.

"Probably until we're eighteen, old enough to step out into the world by ourselves," I explained.

"Besides, I wanna move in with Saiki-kun when we get married!" Yuki exclaimed.

"It's good to see you're almost back to your old self, Yuki-chan," Hazuki stated. "We were so worried about you."

"Well, I guess I just realized that no matter how much I cry, my tears won't bring okaa-san back to us," Yuki replied. "All I can really do is keep fighting in her memory to eliminate these posers who took our parents away from us."

"Okay, enough of the doom and gloom! Let's get to practice, peoples!" Aiko exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh. Aiko always did this whenever the atmosphere of the room was tense or sad, so we could all focus on the good things and not the sad thoughts.

Today's lesson, apparently, was the first step to mastering teleportation magic.

Now, you're all probably wondering, 'isn't teleportation magic super easy?' Not exactly. It's actually very advanced magic, being that you need to make completely sure where you want to go, otherwise it could screw you over, but Majorika is convinced we can handle it. After all, remember how advanced the Sealing Symbol was? Yeah, I'll just leave that to your imagination.

Doremi had it the hardest, apparently, as one of her attempts to teleport to the roof landed her in the sewers! And Doremi's definitely matured in the past few years, so that's testament to how advanced teleporting really is.

It's nothing like those silly anime shows make it look, with just one wave of a wand and BAM teleportation. Not here in the real world, people.

And before you try and pull what I do when I use Savage Wolf Fury, that's not teleporting. I'm just moving so fast that it looks like I'm teleporting.

By the time practice was over, we'd made some reasonable progress in teleportation, but decided to call it a day after another of Doremi's attempts sent Aiko halfway across Misora.

"You're getting better, I'll admit that," Majorika proclaimed. "But it still takes a lot of practice to get such advanced magic to work properly."

"I get it, Majorika-san!" Doremi growled, to which all of us started laughing loudly. Ah, Doremi hasn't changed all that much.

After parting ways for the day, Yuki, Momoko, and I walked back to the Asuka household, ready to get dinner started. Tonight was the official Asuka family cookout, though I often wonder how they can stand being so close to a roasting grill and not get roasted themselves, especially in this freakin' early July heat wave!

"So, you guys excited for dinner tonight?" Momoko giggled.

"Oh, heck yeah! I've never had better grilled food in my life!" Yuki exclaimed.

"As one who has experience with the Asuka family cookout schedule, I can definitely say that you won't be disappointed, Yuki-chan," I quipped.

"Hey, Yuki-chan?"

"What's up, Momo-chan?"

As Yuki and Momoko made small talk, I suddenly sensed something strange approaching fast. It was a very familiar energy, too. That could only mean one thing.

"Girls," I quipped, interrupting the conversation. "I think we'd better transform. Something wicked this way comes."

Yuki and Momoko nodded as we all brought out our Spiritual Phones to deal with this little problem.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

Momoko opened up her Spiritual Phone and waved it around like a wand, using its glowing antenna to draw a music bar around her.

"_Dualize! Ojamajo Pianissimo, Start!"_ Momoko exclaimed, drawing an arpeggio onto the music bar, and it circled around her, eventually forming into her witch outfit.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The gorgeous pearl, Momoko-chi!"_ Momoko exclaimed, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I stood back to back, joining hands and posing again, with Momoko posing right behind us, and all three of us shouted _"We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

Once we were transformed, we all turned around and came face-to-face with who else but Gargos, still wearing that arrogant grin on his face.

Gargos opened his mouth as if to start taunting us like he usually does, but a giant blast of twilight energy slammed into him, sending him stumbling back.

I looked over at Yuki and saw that her divine power had awakened, her angel wings already unfolded.

"One word," Yuki growled, clenching her fists tightly. "_One word_, Gargos, and I cut you up like Asuka-san's barbeque."

"I just came here to see the aftermath of what my lord has done," Gargos proclaimed. "I must say, it was wonderful to watch that pathetic woman go down so easily."

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at Gargos with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at the on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte! Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Gargos's head.

"Didn't you hear my little sister, Gargos?" I shot back. "We are in _no mood _for _any_ of your crap today. So either you leave now, or we send you home crying."

"You can count yourself lucky that I'm not here to fight you," Gargos replied. "I have errands to run, and they, fortunately for you, supersede my own desires. So au revoir for now."

Before I could attempt another slash, Gargos disappeared.

"Okay... that was rather anticlimactic," I quipped.

"I'm glad he turned chicken and ran, because I was two seconds away from going all-out on that jerk," Yuki growled.

"Let's just not think about him, okay?" Momoko giggled as we all reverted to our normal selves. "Wouldn't want to ruin the cookout, now would we?"

"BARBEQUE!" Yuki exclaimed, giggling like a giddy schoolgirl.

_Later, at the Asuka household..._

"Oh, wow, that was some wonderful food," Yuki sighed.

"There's more in the kitchen if you want some," Momoko giggled. "Help yourselves!"

"Ne, Momo-chan?" Yuki asked. "We're... part of your family now, right? So... does that mean I should call you my big sister?"

Momoko laughed nervously, scratching her head. "We didn't adopt you, silly, you're just living with us. But, I guess if you want to, I'm not gonna stop you."

"Yay!" Yuki exclaimed. "Now I have two precious people! My onee-chan..."

Yuki reached out to pull Momoko closer to her.

"...and my onii-chan!"

And then she did the same thing to me.

"We're finally a family again!" Yuki proclaimed.

I couldn't help but smile. Yuki's right. It's nice to be a family again.

Sometime later...

So, it's been about two months now.

Yuki and I have settled into living with the Asuka family after our mom was killed and left us with no place to stay. (We couldn't go back to our old house, because we might have been found out by the Delegates of Darkness.)

Momoko, bless her heart, convinced her parents to take us in until we were old enough to move up in the world.

It didn't take as long as I thought it would, but I finally feel like we're part of a family again.

Especially now that Yuki insists on calling Momoko her "big sister", even though we weren't actually adopted by the Asuka family.

The one thing I wasn't really looking forward to is school.

Ugh, I seriously hate some of these classes. Here's hoping I can stay as _far away _from that biology room as possible.

Even worse, what if the Delegates of Darkness pull one of their sneaky tricks while we're stuck in school learning about the freakin' quadratic theory?

It's not easy to sneak out of school, even with witch powers.

But I decided to push those thoughts out of my head for now. We'll cross that bridge when we actually come to it.

"Onii-chan!" Yuki exclaimed, bursting into our room.

"How'd your date with Saiki-kun go?" I asked as Yuki threw herself into my arms.

"It was perfect!" Yuki giggled. "Well, it would have been absolutely perfect if Oyajide-baka-san hadn't interrupted just because Onpu-chan was at the theater, too..."

"He's still part of her fan club even after all these years, huh?" I replied.

"Oh, speaking of which, I stopped a bootlegger, too!" Yuki exclaimed, looking quite proud of herself. "I caught the guy and swiped his camera when he wasn't looking!"

"You didn't break it, did you?" I quipped.

"Nope, just swiped it. He'll think twice before doing _that_ again!"

Yuki sat down right next to me on the bed. "Now I get to spend some time with my big brother!"

I had to smile at that. Even though she'd had a lot of dates with Saiki lately, she always finds time to spend with me.

And that's perfectly fine with me.

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"You want to go where?"

I imagined she'd be a little confused. The Asuka family's never been there before.

"It's a place that she's been eyeing for a few years now," I explained. "She's been fidgeting nonstop about the chance to go there. So I figured, maybe for her birthday we could take her there. What do you guys think?"

Momoko, Minori, and Kenzou all huddled up in what I personally like to call the "Asuka Family Conference Circle". It's what they like to do when they're all debating about something. I have no idea why I call it that, but I just do.

After about a minute, they broke the circle and turned back to me.

"That's a wonderful idea, Nick!" Minori proclaimed. "I did read some articles about The Rose in the paper, and it's been getting some really nice reviews."

"So count us in!" Kenzou laughed.

"Just keep it a secret as well as you can, okay, okaa-san?" Momoko continued. "Yuki-chan's really good at getting secrets from people."

"Mission accepted!" Kenzou stated, to which we all started laughing.

I'm sure Yuki's gonna love what we've got planned.

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I looked up at the late night sky.

Why is it _always_ like this? Why can I never get any sleep on the night before my birthday?!

I guess I'm just too excited. It always feels odd when I reach another birthday. I'm growing up when I don't really feel like I'm ready to be a grown-up yet.

But consider what we've been doing lately.

If mom could see how I've been fighting off the Delegates of Darkness and smacking them left and right, she'd be so proud of me...

I haven't been crying as much about it. It's not going to bring mom back to us. But I know she's watching me from heaven...

"You're still awake, Yuki-chan?"

I turned around and saw Nick staring at me, his sleepiness evident.

"Just couldn't sleep, I guess," I answered. "You know how excited I get when my birthday approaches, Nick-kun..."

"I figured you'd already be zonked out by now, considering how much work we did today," Nick answered. I'd almost forgotten about today's grueling magic practice. More teleportation crap! UGH...

"I'm really starting to get sick of this one-track schedule Majorika-san has us on," I growled. "I don't want to be stuck perfecting this stupid art even though I've pretty much gotten the hang of it by now!"

"She still worries about us," Nick replied. "After all the crap we went through just to perfect the Sealing Symbol, she worries about us performing any kind of advanced magic."

"And that's officially the problem!" I shouted. "If we could handle the Sealing Symbol, we should be able to handle basic teleportation magic! So why does Majorika-san insist on coddling us?!"

"It's just the way she is," Nick continued.

"Yeah, but still..."

I cast a glance at the alarm clock that stood on our dresser. It read _11:59 PM._ Only one more minute!

"It's almost time, isn't it? Why don't you go on and make your birthday wish, sis?" Nick asked me.

I nodded, clasping my hands together and thinking of something to wish for.

A few seconds before midnight, I finally thought of a suitable wish.

_I wish for us to find a way to free otou-san from the darkness he's fallen into..._

Though Nick thinks that dad's fallen too far into the darkness to be saved, I'm not giving up hope just yet. There's gotta be some way we can get him back to the father we knew and loved, before all of this madness...

I glanced back at Nick, who was smiling as if he'd heard my thoughts.

The clock now read _12:00 AM. _Midnight. It was officially August 18th.

I was finally fourteen years old.

"Happy birthday, Yuki-chan," Nick stated, leaning over to hug me tightly.

I was so overcome with emotion that I immediately hugged him back. Seriously, Nick is such a sweetheart to me!

"Thank you, onii-chan."

I moved closer so I could lean over and kiss my big brother on the cheek.

Seriously, I have the best big brother I could have ever asked for.

And that's more valuable than any birthday gift to me.

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I was about to start worrying when I woke up to find myself the only person in the bedroom. Thankfully, I found a note pinned to the door.

_Hey, Nick-kun! If I'm not here when you wake up, don't worry! I just went to the MAHO-dou to greet the others! Don't spoil the surprise, okay?_

_Kisses,_

_Shinoya Yuki_

That's just like you, sis.

She does that every year, trying to coerce me into telling me what we've planned for her birthday. She's not asking about her presents, obviously, just if we have any special plans for the day.

She doesn't know that I've already got something planned. There's this really nice restaurant that Yuki's been eyeing since she turned twelve. It's not a super-expensive hoity-toity place, but it's definitely a step up for our ages.

Yuki's been begging to go to that place ever since, but we just haven't really had the time to make any plans, what with our constant fights with the Delegates of Darkness. I'm seriously hoping they're not gonna show up today of all days. I don't want to spend my sister's birthday fighting these freaks off.

After getting dressed and sharing a kiss with Momoko, I dashed out the door to make my way to the Twin Bells MAHO-dou, enjoying the nice and breezy summer day. Thank god that heat wave is finally gone!

It wasn't even noon yet, so I still had a lot of time. I made it to the MAHO-dou just as the clock hit noon, only to see something a little weird.

Yuki was ferrying what appeared to be a crate of magical beads towards a nearby shelf. I still remember the days we actually used those for our magic. Nowadays, we have our crystals. They're actually different from a normal crystal, if you remember. The queen awarded all of us our new magical crystals for perfecting the Sealing Symbol and using it to send Zanza back to oblivion where he belongs.

"Oh, hey, Nick-kun!" Yuki giggled. "Just let me take care of this shipment, okay?"

"Yuki-chan, what exactly are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, Majorika-san just wanted some help with this box of magical beads," Yuki replied. "She claims they're 'too heavy' for her to lift, but I'm not feeling any problem."

"Ugh," I groaned as I strode into the store. "Majorika, are you being serious right now?"

"What?" Majorika asked, as if she didn't know why I was irked. "It's nothing she can't handle."

"That's not the _point_, Majorika," I shot back, walking over to gently pull Yuki away from the stack of boxes. "You are _not_ making my sister work today of all days, got that?"

My mind made up, Yuki and I walked out of the store, leaving Majorika stunned.

"Okay... well, that was somethin'," Aiko quipped.

"You didn't need to do that, Nick-kun," Yuki stated. "I was almost done anyway."

"Majorika doesn't get it," I replied. "I don't know why she wants you to do work of _any sort_ when it's your birthday."

"That's just the way Majorika-san is! I said I'd be happy to help!"

"Yuki-chan, today's all about _you_, not what other people want from you," I proclaimed. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"It's okay, onii-chan," Yuki replied. "Besides, it helped that the girls already gave me their gift."

Yuki lifted her arm to show me a really nice-looking watch. "They all pitched in to get me this! Doesn't it look really cool, Nick-kun?"

"Wow, they must have really went all-out this year, huh?" I quipped.

"Well, obviously, Nick-kun! I'm finally a woman!" Yuki giggled.

It was then that I remembered something. "Um... Yuki-chan, about Saiki-kun..."

"I know, Nick-kun! Saiki-kun couldn't make it because Oyajide-san's being stupid as always," Yuki commented. "Saiki-kun already gave me my present before I went to the MAHO-dou, so it's not that big a deal."

Yuki reached up to touch the cute silver earrings she was wearing. So, Oyajide will let Saiki spend money on stuff like that, but he won't actually let Saiki spend time with his girlfriend on her birthday?! I swear, Oyajide's priorities are seriously whacked...

"Aren't they cute?" Yuki giggled. "Saiki-kun said they really suit me."

"He spoils you sometimes, you know that?" I commented.

"The sign of a good boyfriend," Yuki replied.

"So, is there anywhere you want to go, sis?" I asked.

"Hey, I just remembered that the school's having an activity day today!" Yuki exclaimed. "I kinda wanna go swimming..."

"Why don't we stop back home so we can get your stuff, then?" I replied. "It's been a while since I've had a good swim myself."

"YAY!" Yuki exclaimed.

_Thirty minutes later..._

"Okay, Nick-kun, watch this dive!" Yuki exclaimed, decked out in a cute one-piece swimsuit that she had customized with her art supplies. Hey, a touch of character helps you stand out, right?

Yuki took a few steps back, then barreled forward full charge, doing a quick hop near the edge so she would land _on _the edge and propel herself into the air, doing a few flips and other stylish maneuvers before making a splash in the pool.

Yuki likes to show off when she starts swimming. Probably because she knows how to swim and _I don't_.

Ugh, why did my swimming instructor have to suck?!

"Come on in, onii-chan! The water's just fine!" Yuki exclaimed.

I decided against it, being content to stay at the edge of the barrier that separated the shallow and deep ends of Misora Middle School's enormous pool. Seriously, why is thing so freakin' huge?!

"I'm fine over here, sis," I quipped.

To my surprise, Yuki waded over to me. "Onii-chan, we really need to teach you how to swim."

"It's not my fault the gym class coach is the worst swimming instructor in the city!" I exclaimed.

"Then I guess it's up to me!" Yuki proclaimed, extending her hand to me. "If the school can't do it, I'll be your swimming teacher!"

Yuki must have noticed the nervousness on my expression, because she reached out and took my hand. "Nick-kun, as long as I'm here, I _promise_ that you have nothing to worry about. I swear it on my honor as your cute little sister."

Well, that certainly made me feel a bit better. As long as Yuki's close by, I don't really have anything to fear, do I? I'd save her in a heartbeat, so I'm sure she'd do the same for me.

I smiled and let Yuki lead me under the barriers into the deep end.

"Okay, first lesson," Yuki proclaimed. "Knowing how to stay afloat is actually easy. You've just gotta relax your body and you won't sink like a rock."

I took Yuki's advice and closed my eyes, allowing myself to relax as I waded further in. After a couple seconds, I opened my eyes and saw that I was actually floating and not sinking!

"See, Nick-kun? I knew you could do it!" Yuki giggled.

"Yeah, but floating's easy compared to actually going underwater," I quipped. "_That's_ the part I'm dreading."

"Don't worry, Nick-kun," Yuki stated, her expression softening. "I won't let you drown. Promise."

Feeling a little more comfortable (how does she do that, honestly?), I nodded. "Lead the way, 'instructor'."

"All right! Lesson two, diving!"

About ten minutes passed, in which Yuki taught me all the intricacies of diving underwater and how to hold your breath for longer without needing to come up for air as often.

By the time the lesson was over, I'd managed to apply my skills rather well. No way in hell would I be calling myself a master swimmer anytime soon, but hey, at least I'm learning, right?

"There, Nick-kun, now was that so hard?" Yuki stated during one of the breaks in our lesson.

"I guess... I just got worried for so long..." I admitted. "When Nanoka-chan almost drowned that one time, I probably got scared to even go _near_ the deep end... I was worried that it could happen to me..."

"But you're learning how to overcome that, and that's a good thing!" Yuki giggled. "See, Nick-kun? I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Never doubted you for a second, Yuki-chan," I replied, reaching out to hug her, despite the fact that we were still in the water. "Thanks."

"Anytime, onii-chan," Yuki stated. "You ready for lesson three?"

"As I'll ever be," I sighed. "Let's do this."

So Yuki continued to be my swimming instructor for the next thirty minutes, teaching me everything I needed to know about swimming.

And lo and behold, by the time we were out of the pool, I could swim reasonably well! Obviously, like I said, I wouldn't be a master anytime soon, but at least I'm making progress. One step at a time, right?

"That was fun! This school needs to have activity days more often!" Yuki giggled.

"We're not done yet, though," I replied. "Anything else you want to do before we head back home?"

Yuki put her hand to her chin so she could think.

"You know... you still owe me a basketball game, onii-chan."

"Well, then, let's hit the court!"

Yeah, this goes back a few months. I promised Yuki I'd play a game of basketball with her and Aiko, but unfortunately, bad weather kinda shot that idea down. Yuki made me agree to a rain check on that game, which I guess she forgot about until now.

And apparently, our game turned out to be more fun than I'd anticipated. A lot of students noticed how fierce our one-on-one was getting and decided to join in, and soon enough, we had a full-on basketball game going!

Man, if Aiko could've seen this, she would have lost her mind.

In the end, my team barely managed to win, 46-43. It was a pretty close game at times, too.

"Whew, that was exhausting, huh?" Yuki gasped as we sat down to catch our bearings after the game.

"At least we had fun, right?" I replied.

"I'll get you in the next game. Count on it!" Yuki proclaimed.

"Well, we should probably get home," I stated. "The day's not quite over yet."

With that, we both made our way back home to shower and change our outfits after that grueling game of b-ball.

"Did you guys have fun at the school?" Momoko asked.

"Most fun I've ever had at school," I admitted.

"I taught Nick-kun how to swim, and we even played a game of basketball!" Yuki exclaimed. "It was a lot more fun when the other students joined in."

"So, I'm guessing you guys are pretty hungry from that experience, huh?" Momoko giggled.

"Heck yeah! I worked up a serious appetite from that game!" Yuki proclaimed. "What's for dinner?"

Momoko looked at me for confirmation, and I winked at her, signaling that now was a good time.

"We're actually going out tonight," Momoko continued. "Yuki-chan, you familiar with a little place called 'The Rose'?"

I definitely caught the growing smile on Yuki's face. "You... you mean it, Momo-chan?!"

"Absolutely," Momoko giggled. "We all figured it was finally time to check that place out, after all. What better day than today?"

"YES!" Yuki shouted, throwing her arms around Momoko. "You guys are the greatest, Momo-chan!"

"Anything for our lovely twilight princess," Momoko replied.

Just before we were ready to head out, Yuki came into my room, beaming like a little girl on Christmas morning.

"Nick-kun, do you have any idea how happy you guys have made me today?" Yuki stated.

"Well, it's your birthday, silly," I replied. "I've always done my best to make sure you're nothing but happy on your birthdays."

"Well, it always works so well, huh?" Yuki responded. "Really, though, Nick-kun. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You've honestly made me feel like a princess today."

"You technically are, aren't you?" I quipped.

"That's beside the point!" Yuki exclaimed, leaping over to hug me. "Seriously, Nick-kun, I have no words to describe how sweet you are to me."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" I answered. "You're the most precious person in my life. And I'm gonna spend the rest of my life proving that to you if it's the last freakin' thing I ever do."

Yuki sighed happily. "You're the best, big brother."

Before I knew what had happened, Yuki had just kissed me. It was a feather-light kiss, only lasting a couple seconds, but it still conveyed its intent extremely well.

Ugh, listen to me, sounding like a romance novel reject! Why does Onpu force me to read those stupid books?!

"Well, onii-chan, shall we head out? I've got the munchies like you wouldn't believe!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Music to these ears," I replied, and so, hand in hand, we walked down to the living room.

I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life defending that smile.

Because that's what a good big brother is supposed to do, right?

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As we walked home that night, I began reflecting on everything that Nick and I have been through.

Nightmare, Zanza, the Delegates of Darkness, our father...

...and the promise we made on that dark and stormy night almost two years ago.

Nick and I have been through a lot in our lives, more than anyone our age should ever have to go through.

Yet we still accept our roles and continue to fight on for what we believe is right.

And even better? I get to fight with Nick at my side.

He is literally the best big brother I could have asked for. With everything that we do together, we're practically inseparable (except when I'm on a date with Saiki, but that's an entirely different matter altogether).

On the way back to the car, I smiled and reached out to hold Nick's hand, feeling an immense warmth spreading through me.

It's different from when Saiki holds my hand, sure. When Saiki does it, I just feel intoxicated by his love (listen to me using these big words when I'm only fourteen, huh?) and so sure that he's the one for me.

When Nick holds my hand, I feel so warm inside, like just the contact alone makes me feel I could do anything as long as Nick is watching over me and supporting me in my endeavors.

I feel so lucky to have two wonderful boys in my life: Saiki, my caring and intellectual boyfriend, and Nick, my impatient but chivalrous brother.

Agh, I'm using those words again! Why do I suddenly feel like I'm five years older?

Anyways, I should wrap this up before I start to ramble.

On days like this, I just feel so happy knowing that my big brother will always be there to protect me and support me no matter what I do.

Ah... I love you, Nick.

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"Gargos. I require use of your skills."

"I am listening, my lord."

Jeff turned around and waved his staff, using its energy to create a picture of a strange-looking artifact.

Gargos seemed pleasantly surprised by this news. "My lord, you have found more Power Cells?"

"Among other artifacts necessary for the Precursor Robot to utilize the full range of its functions," Jeff proclaimed. "One of our scouting teams discovered ancient ruins with these very artifacts buried deep within their depths. I want you to go with the advance excavation team to retrieve them."

"Will this be everything we need?" Gargos wondered.

"Yes, Gargos," Jeff stated, smiling wickedly. "Once we recover these artifacts, all we need do is make the necessary repairs and additions to our Precursor Robot, and we can use it to open the silos."

Gargos jerked to his feet, surprise highlighting his features. "Th-the silos?! My lord, do you know what rests within the silos?!"

"Relax, Gargos. I do not intend to let it out of control. These Precursor Robots were designed for a multitude of functions. The one we possess as of now was created to control the flow of darkness from the silos and keep it in check should it ever be released."

"You... you mean...?"

"That is correct, Gargos. With the right amount of power, we will finally be able to unleash the Genesis Wave and take hold of our rightful destiny."

Gargos ran these thoughts through his head. He had heard many hushed whispers about this so-called "Genesis Wave" during his recent stints at the headquarters. At first, he hadn't understood what they had meant, but had known not to press for information, knowing that Jeff would reveal the intent once it was ready.

"The Genesis Wave, my lord?"

"Yes. Let me explain a few things, Gargos."

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I looked out the window, watching the sun rise as I've been doing for a good while now.

I wish I could say I'm perfectly fine right now, but I've got this uneasy feeling.

It's been bugging me for the past couple days, actually, ever since Yuki's birthday.

What's bugging me, you may ask? Well, I haven't heard hide nor hair from the Delegates of Darkness, which is really starting to give proof to my theory that they're working on some gigantic evil operation that could change the world as we know it.

While I've been telling myself that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I'm starting to get another weird feeling that we may not be ready for whatever's coming.

I really wish I knew what these feelings truly meant. I'm not effectively a psychic like Saiki is, but I'm just hoping everything will turn out all right...

"Something bugging you, Nick-kun?"

I looked to my right and there was Yuki, sitting cross-legged on the bed and staring at me with that expression that usually meant she wanted to know what I was thinking.

"I'm just trying to get some cobwebs out of my head... I had this weird feeling about whatever the Delegates of Darkness are planning..."

"It's okay, onii-chan. Whatever their dirty little plans are, we'll face it together and send them home crying!" Yuki proclaimed. "Because that's what heroes do, right?"

I nodded. "Of course, Yuki-chan."

"Not much longer before school begins, huh?" Yuki quipped.

"Please don't remind me," I growled. "This has been one of the most eventful summers of my life, and I'd really rather not end it just yet..."

"We still have time to spare, Nick-kun," Yuki replied. "Is there anything you wanna do before school starts?"

"That's actually the problem," I admitted. "I can't think of anything I'd really like to do before school starts, and I'm worried that by the time I think of something, it'll be time to go back to school and I'll have wasted the one chance I had..."

Yuki reached out to take my hand. "Why don't we go for a walk, Nick-kun? Something to clear your mind."

"...yeah. Yeah, I'm down with that."

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Gargos marveled at the sight of the Cobalt Ruins. A treasure hunter's paradise, especially when searching for ancient Precursor treasures.

"Let's go, people! We have artifacts to uncover!" Gargos proclaimed, and all of the soldiers who had made the journey with him rushed into the ruins, already using their tools to dig for the artifacts they needed.

As the excavation progressed, Gargos suddenly realized something strange. The group was short one person.

"Ugh, Waltz, I swear to god..." Gargos growled. "If you're off doing your own thing instead of following our lord's orders like I told you, I'm going to...!"

"_He is following orders, Gargos."_

"M-my lord!" Gargos exclaimed, reaching for his communicator. "What is your will?"

"_I had Waltz stay in Misora. I required his services to retrieve one final piece that is absolutely vital to the perfect execution of the Genesis Wave."_

"I understand, my lord. As long as he isn't here annoying the living hell out of me, I'm fine with it. We've just started excavating the ruins for the artifacts. It should take no more than four hours."

"_Excellent, Gargos. Once all of the artifacts are recovered, return to base and we shall complete the modifications."_

"And then we unleash the Genesis Wave. I'm literally tingling with excitement!"

"_Calm yourself. We must make sure that our plans will not be interrupted."_

"I know what you mean, my lord. I will watch over the excavation. Gargos out."

Gargos smiled wickedly as he ran ideas through his head of what they could do with the power of the Genesis Wave.

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"I, for one, am glad that the heat wave's gone."

"You've been saying that for the past three days, onii-chan!"

"I still have a point, right?"

By this point, we'd passed by the Skywhirl Tower, the town's signature monument. I sneered at the memories of the Storm Station that had once been attached to that thing.

"So, onii-chan, did you think of anything you wanted to do before summer ends?"

I shook my head, still blanking on ideas. "I really hope I'm not gonna regret this..."

"Aw, Nick-kun, we'll think of something," Yuki giggled, taking my hand. "We'll squeeze every last drop of fun out of this summer without letting school drag us down!"

I couldn't help but smile at that. When Yuki gets motivated, she can say a lot of profound things.

"Wanna go get a bite to eat?" Yuki asked. "I can tell you're getting kinda hungry."

I swear, I hadn't even heard my stomach growling. Jeez, talk about embarrassing, huh?

"Where do you wanna go, sis?"

I was about to lift my hand up and check my watch when something sailed right by me at speeds I couldn't even pick up until three seconds later. I spun around and saw Yuki struggling against the clutches of who else but Black Waltz Three.

Should've known it was too good to last...

"Only gonna say this once, Waltz. Let her go, NOW," I growled, whipping out my wand and instantly transforming it into Nenshou Hikari.

"Still so feisty even after all this time," Waltz sneered. "But do you even know why I'm taking this cute little girl hostage?"

"I don't need to know your reasons, Waltz," I shot back, twirling my weapon and making it very clear what I intended to do with it. "All I need to know is that you're holding my sister hostage, and that's the only reason I need to chop you into little bitty pieces!"

"Can you go through her, though?" Waltz proclaimed. "You know I have extreme reflexes and can outmaneuver any of your slow sword strikes. So what will you do?"

"Hey, what the hell did you do, freak show?! I can't access my divine power!" Yuki exclaimed.

Waltz gestured to the strange devices on his shoulders. "Magic jammers. They only work in my immediate vicinity, but they block any and all kinds of magic in their range. So as long as I have these equipped, you can't use that power, you little wench."

"Why, you little...!" I shouted, ready to flank Waltz and teach him a lesson.

"Ah, ah," Waltz chided. "I need to take what is rightfully mine, so unless you want me to slaughter her and take what I came for that way, you'll stay put and not move a muscle."

I just stood there, clenching my sword tightly while trying to come up with a possible option of attack.

"That's what I thought," Waltz sneered before vanishing in a shower of black feathers.

Damn it, why now of all times?! I swear, these jerks have a tendency for showing up at the worst possible times!

But what did Waltz mean, 'what I came for'? What does he wants from Yuki?

"NICK-KUN, HEEEEY!"

I spun around and saw Akemi, Moriko, and Kurumi rushing up to me. Perfect, I've got some backup now.

"What's going on?!" Moriko exclaimed. "I heard Yuki-chan freaking out, so we got here as fast as we could!"

"Waltz grabbed her," I stated quickly. "Says he needs something from her."

"Waltz? You mean that crazy stalker person I sent running a few months back?" Kurumi wondered. "What's he doing back here?!"

"We really shouldn't be standing here and talking," Akemi interrupted. "We need to go find Yuki-chan and rescue her!"

"Music to my ears, Akemi-chan," I replied, to which Akemi blushed. Never fails, does it?

Thankfully, Akemi shook off her blush as we all brought out our Spiritual Phones.

We all stood in a circle as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we all shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering our bodies in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The innocent opal, Akemi-chi!"_ Akemi exclaimed, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The flowing jade, Moriko-chi!" _Moriko shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The shining silver, Kurumi-chi!"_ Kurumi shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

We all stood next to each other before posing again, all four of us shouting _"We shall cleanse the darkness with the magic that turns dreams into reality! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"All right, let's go find our troublesome twilight princess," Moriko quipped.

"But where do we start looking?" Akemi asked. "Waltz-san could have taken her anywhere..."

"Hey, I think I have an idea where to start," Kurumi giggled, pointing towards a small trail of black feathers on the ground.

"Bingo, Kurumi-chan!" Moriko exclaimed. "Way to find the trail!"

"I don't like this, girls," I responded. "It feels like he's leaving a trail on purpose. Waltz may not be smart, but he's unstable. And with my sister in that madman's clutches, I don't want to think about what he'd do to her..."

"Let's just find Yuki-chan first, then we'll decide how to thrash that jerk, okay?" Moriko stated.

I nodded, and together, we set out to follow the trail of black feathers that Waltz had left behind.

_Waltz, if you hurt her in any way, I'm going to kill you..._

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"What's your deal, Waltz?! Why do you need me for your sick little plans?!" Yuki shouted, struggling against Waltz's iron grip.

"I see no reason to tell you of my grand plans, little lady," Waltz proclaimed. "Just that it's very special to us and you have what I need."

"Well, you can go suck an egg, because I'm not giving you anything!" Yuki shot back.

"Oh, really?" Waltz sneered.

"I see that look in your eyes, asshole," Yuki growled. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"How very perceptive, Shinoya," Waltz replied. "All I am allowed to say of our plans is that it is something we've devised to eliminate any 'troublesome variables' from the picture."

"You mean us."

"Quite true, detective girl."

"We'll shut down your evil operation, you know. We did it before, and we'll just as easily do it again!"

"Shows what you know, girlie. This plan is foolproof."

"WALTZ, LET HER GO!"

I aimed Nenshou Hikari at Waltz to perpetuate my threat. "This _instant_, Waltz, or I'm lopping your head off."

"You'd like to do that, wouldn't you?" Waltz shot back. "But unfortunately for you, I can't go back until I have acquired what I came for. And I believe it is time I claim it."

I never even got a chance to react as Waltz slammed his hand into Yuki's side, apparently piercing through the skin.

With a loud growl, I instantly began charging up my attack. After about a second, I did a diveroll to the left and swung my sword, unleashing a bright wave of light that struck Waltz and forced him to drop Yuki.

I didn't waste a second in rushing to my sister's side. "You okay, Yuki-chan?"

Yuki was clutching the side of her chest, where Waltz had attacked. I didn't see any blood (which probably would have caused me to go berserk), but she'd definitely been hurt by whatever trick that bastard had pulled.

"You're dead meat, Waltz!" I shouted.

"Let me take a crack at him, Nick-kun," Kurumi giggled. "I'll soften the stalker up for you."

"Oh, you wish to bring it as well?!" Waltz shouted, charging for Waltz.

Kurumi whipped out her wand and intercepted Waltz with a spinning slash attack. However, Kurumi kept spinning, doing what appeared to be continuous ballet twirls as she kept slashing at Waltz while spinning around him.

"This is the shine I bring to this life! Mystic Arte, Prism Windmill!" Kurumi shouted, spinning so fast that she eventually began to float into the air, taking Waltz up with her. Kurumi's spinning eventually produced a bright silver tornado of energy that tore at Waltz mercilessly. After a while of this, Kurumi dropped down to the ground while using her wand to slash through the silver tornado, causing it to explode and send Waltz flying.

"Why, you little brat!" Waltz growled, rushing at Kurumi once he'd recovered, only to be caught in a large azure energy field.

Waltz barely caught a glimpse of Akemi clasping her hands over her heart. Even though we were all standing on cold cement, beautiful flowers appeared to be blooming all around her. What the heck?

"Virtuous souls, gather in the verdant fields of heaven..." Akemi chanted, her hands glowing brightly.

"What sorcery...?!" Waltz gasped.

"Mystic Arte, Garden of Innocence!" Akemi shouted, throwing her hands outward. Flower petals started flying around the azure field Akemi had created, slashing at Waltz mercilessly. Once they stopped, Akemi clapped her hands twice, and the azure energy surrounding her converged on Waltz, dealing huge damage and knocking him away.

"All right, my turn!" Moriko exclaimed, closing her eyes and clenching her fists.

What happened next surprised everyone: four massive trees burst from the pavement around Moriko and flew into the air.

Moriko smiled deviously before hopping into the air in front of the trees.

"One!" Moriko kicked the first tree into Waltz, where it exploded on contact, doing a nice chunk of damage.

"Two!" Moriko kicked the second tree into Waltz, causing Kurumi's jaw to drop.

"Three!" Moriko then kicked the third tree into Waltz before grabbing the last one by the bottom and hoisting it over her head, making me do a double-take. How is she lifting that huge thing? Ah, that's magic for you.

"_Mystic Arte, Overlord Reign Impact!"_ Moriko chanted, landing on the ground and slamming the final tree into Waltz with an overhead swing. The tree again exploded on contact, but then, a maelstrom of energy erupted out of the ground under Waltz and did severe damage.

"Okay, my turn!" Yuki exclaimed, bringing out Tobiume, which began to glow with a bright blue light.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki shouted, swinging her weapon in an arc that sent out a wave of lightning blasts, enough to stun Waltz in his spot.

"_Mystic Arte! Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, this time performing an overhead slash that created a giant black-and-blue energy crescent to slash at Waltz and do some considerable damage.

"He's all yours, onii-chan!" Yuki giggled, to which I nodded and dashed towards Waltz.

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at Waltz with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at Waltz on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte, Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Waltz's head.

"Now will you take the hint and leave us the hell alone, Waltz?!" I shouted. "You already crossed the line with whatever you did to Yuki-chan!"

To my great surprise, Waltz just started laughing.

"So simple and naïve, little boy," Waltz proclaimed, raising his hand to show that he was holding a baseball-sized sphere of silvery-black light. "I thank you, Shinoya, for the generous donation of your power."

"Wha...? Did you take my powers from me, freak?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Only a slight piece of it," Waltz replied. "I alone could never take all of your powers from you, princess, but this little bit that I _did_ snag will be more than enough for what we are planning."

"Give that back! It belongs to me, and you're not supposed to steal from pretty ladies, you jerk!" Yuki shouted, swinging Tobiume at Waltz.

Waltz simply flipped out of the way of the slash. "Well, I'd best be off. Business to take care of, after all."

"Forget it, Waltz! Do you seriously think I'm going to let you get away with taking something from my sister?!" I shouted.

"Naturally, you wouldn't," Waltz sneered. "But your overconfidence will be the death of you. I'd take that to heart while you still have the time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurumi wondered, noting the tone of Waltz's voice.

"Oh, nothing much, my dear. Just that your world will soon be ours, and there isn't really a damn thing you will be able to do about it."

"All right," I growled, readying my weapon. "I'm getting really sick of your attitude, Waltz!"

"Learn to be patient, boy," Waltz shot back, quickly irritating me further. "It won't do you any good if you face your inevitable doom without conviction."

Before I could wring any more answers out of him, Waltz surrounded himself with black feathers and disappeared.

"All right, now that he's gone, let's get back to our own business," I quipped, walking over to my sister and examining the spot on her chest where Waltz had struck. Oddly enough, there was no wound there. Weird, huh?

"To answer your question, onii-chan, yes, I'm okay," Yuki quipped, reaching out to rest her hands on my shoulders. "I don't know why Waltz-san took a chunk of my power, but I'll be okay. Promise."

"And the plot thickens even more," Moriko stated matter-of-factly as we all reached out to open our Spiritual Phones, which caused us to revert to our normal selves. "Waltz botches a perfectly feasible attempt to remove one of his 'troublesome variables' from the game, and all he does is take a piece of her power. My question is, why?"

"I'll bet it has something to do with their latest project," Kurumi replied. "Nick-kun, you said that they've got another big scheme in the works. Do you know anything about it?"

"Not really," I admitted. "We haven't had much trouble from them since mom was killed, but I guess as the months went by, I started to worry that maybe their absence was because they were working on some top-secret project. Trust me, any big project from them _cannot_ be anything good. I mean, look at what happened with the Storm Station."

"So... do you have any plans, Nick-kun?" Akemi asked.

"Not... not really, Akemi-chan," I answered. "I don't know what their plan is, so I can't really put forth a solid step in shutting it down until I figure out more about it. For now, I'm flying blank on this one."

"Ah, you'll get it, Nick-kun," Moriko giggled. "You always do in the end, right?"

Yeah, Moriko always knows how to make me smile when I'm stressed about something. Well, all of my friends are really good at that, but Moriko especially.

"Guess we all we can do for now is ride out the metaphorical storm," Yuki stated. "Once they show up with their big project, we'll go full-guns-blazing and shut that sucker down!"

"Nice to see you've still got your confidence, Yuki-chan," Moriko quipped.

With that, we all split to return home.

"Hey, Yuki-chan?"

"Yes, Nick-kun?"

I reached out to hug Yuki. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"Aw, Nick-kun..." Yuki sighed, returning my hug. "No way am I letting that silver-haired psychopath take me out. He's gonna have to try harder than _that_."

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"Perfection..." Gargos proclaimed, staring intently at the completed Precursor Robot, retrofitted with all the weapon systems and modifications they would need to ensure the perfect execution of their plan.

"I take it you are impressed with our new Precursor Robot, Gargos?" Jeff stated.

"It is unbelievable, my lord! Once we use this to open the silos, there will be nothing to stop us!"

"There is only one more item required before we can finally begin launch procedures," Jeff proclaimed.

Before Gargos could ask what, Waltz appeared, showering the area with black feathers. "My lord, I bring you a present," Waltz stated, holding out the silvery-black sphere he'd extracted from Yuki. "A toast, if you will, to the end of this world and the birth of a new world."

"Excellent, Waltz," Jeff laughed. "Now we can proceed."

"If I may ask, my lord, why do we need a piece of the girl's twilight power?" Gargos asked. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to take the divine power instead?"

"A fraction of her natural magic power is all we need to make sure everything goes smoothly," Jeff explained. "And as for the divine power, once we use the Genesis Wave, the divine power will no longer be an issue."

"I hope so, my lord," Gargos stated. "Those two brats have found ways to thwart us at every turn."

"Not this time, they won't," Jeff proclaimed, motioning to his loyal soldiers.

"At long last, my Delegates of Darkness, we can begin!" Jeff exclaimed, standing before the Precursor Robot that they had collected and modified. Their older Precursor Robot had been used as it had been found, and had been too easily destroyed by Yuki.

"This Precursor Robot will be the symbol of our dominion over this world!" Jeff exclaimed. "We need merely to break open the silos, and we shall unleash the Genesis Wave on this pathetic world! Victory will be ours this day!"

This proclamation was met with thunderous applause.

Gargos stepped up to Jeff, wearing a specialized battle suit. "My lord, everything is ready. The propulsion systems are at optimum specs, the weapons systems are at maximum power, and the defense shield are operating at full capacity. We can launch whenever you give the command."

"Wonderful, Gargos," Jeff proclaimed. "You and Waltz will pilot our masterpiece to break open the silos. When we give the signal, you can unleash the Genesis Wave. Do not unleash it before I give the signal or our plans may be in jeopardy."

"Understood, my lord," Gargos replied, bowing to his leader.

"This is our time," Jeff stated with conviction. "This is the time when we, the Delegates of Darkness, claim what is rightfully ours!"

More applause resounded.

Jeff smiled wickedly to himself. "Not even my meddlesome children will be able to stop us once our plan is complete! "Soldiers! Begin the activation sequence! We conquer this universe now!"

Waltz, off to the side, sneered in a very suspicious looking way. He'd known of the Genesis Wave plan since its inception, and he knew that this would be his perfect opportunity.

"Yes, you unleash your silly little plan," Waltz whispered to himself so nobody could hear him. "When my time comes, _I_ will be this universe's ruler."

Waltz clenched his fist tightly.

"And all of you pathetic humans and witches will be naught but a memory."

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"How are you holding up, Yuki-chan?" I asked.

Yuki just smiled at me. "I'm okay, Nick-kun. It doesn't hurt anymore," Yuki replied, lightly patting the spot where Waltz had attacked her a few days ago. "It really only felt like a pinch."

"You don't feel any weaker? I know they took some of your power..."

"How they did that, I have no idea, but I'm not feeling any kind of side effects or anything... maybe it was just a fluke?"

I pouted slightly, something I haven't done in a while. I'm _that _frustrated, people. "That was no fluke, sis. I still can't figure out what they're planning, and it's annoying me because I'm scared we might not be able to stop it this time."

"Nick-kun, I can't believe you're worrying about those freaks," Yuki giggled. "We've always been able to stop them, and we always shove whatever they're planning right back up their tailpipes! Why should this time be any different?"

"I wish I knew, sis... I've just been having this odd feeling for a few months now..."

Yuki smiled, reaching out to hold my hand, something she likes to do when I'm distressed. "Don't worry, Nick-kun. We'll stop whatever they're up to. That's a promise. When bad guys roam free, I don't give up! That's my motto, remember?"

"Hey, guys!" Momoko exclaimed, bursting into the room. "Did you hear the news? Some idiots were threatening to blow the Skywhirl Tower to bits!"

"Was it _them_, by any chance?" Yuki wondered.

"As far as I can tell, no," Momoko quipped. "It was just a bunch of nutjobs."

I made it a point to flip on the television, where conveniently enough, the channel seven news was showing a report on the incident.

"_To recap the morning's top story, a group of alleged terrorists were arrested by Misora police for threatening to destroy the Skywhirl Tower, one of Misora's famous monuments. We currently do not have an alibi as to why they want to destroy the tower, but we are hopeful to have a resolution shortly."_

"Well, that's one heck of a weird way to start the day," I admitted. "Why would someone want to destroy the tower? It's not a black cat like the Tokyo Tower is."

"Ah, those guys probably just caught delusions of grandeur and thought they could get away with it," Yuki replied. "There's a lot of crazy crap in this world we live in."

"Ain't that the truth," Momoko and I responded at the same time.

"And at least the police got them, so there's one more threat neutralized," Yuki giggled.

I didn't get a chance to respond to that, as I was almost immediately knocked back to the ground by a powerful tremor that spread through the area.

"What the hell was that?!" Yuki exclaimed. "Did they break out and actually blow it up?!"

Momoko rushed to the nearby window to search for the cause of the tremors.

"Um, guys, that was no explosion," Momoko gasped. "You're not gonna believe what I'm seeing, but..."

My curiosity piqued, I walked up to the window.

I normally can't see the downtown area from here, but it's always easy to see the Skywhirl Tower since it's the tallest thing in Misora.

And there was a giant robot stomping through the city and landing devastating blows on the Skywhirl Tower.

"What the...?! Why is there a giant robot in the city?!" I shouted.

"Wait a minute. That thing looks familiar!" Yuki exclaimed, getting a good look at the robot in question. "Hey, didn't I trash that thing?!"

Yuki was referring to the Precursor Robot that she'd fought when she went to destroy the core of the Storm Station.

"Well, if that thing came back from the dead and grew larger and more elaborate, then I think we need to get down there before it tears up our city!" I exclaimed.

"Roger, onii-chan!" Yuki giggled.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

Momoko opened up her Spiritual Phone and waved it around like a wand, using its glowing antenna to draw a music bar around her.

"_Dualize! Ojamajo Pianissimo, Start!"_ Momoko exclaimed, drawing an arpeggio onto the music bar, and it circled around her, eventually forming into her witch outfit.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The gorgeous pearl, Momoko-chi!"_ Momoko exclaimed, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I stood back to back, joining hands and posing again, with Momoko posing right behind us, and all three of us shouted _"We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"All right, let's go stop Mechzilla from wrecking our fair city!" Yuki shouted, sounding way too much like a cheesy 1960s superhero.

And the way she said it, I'm pretty sure that was the intent.

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Sure enough, as we reached the downtown area, what seemed to be hundreds, if not thousands, of Misora citizens were running around like idiots with the hounds of Hades baying at their heels. Which meant that this was extremely serious.

But really, when is it _not_ serious where these nutballs are involved?

"Holy HELL, that thing is _gigantic_!" Yuki exclaimed. "How are we gonna stop that thing?!"

"Wanna try Super Silhouette?" I offered.

"Nah. That hasn't really been doing crap for us lately," Yuki replied. "How about we go super and send this ancient rustbucket packing?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I quipped, closing my eyes and concentrating, Yuki doing the same thing.

Swirls of bright golden energy began to surround us, forming a miniature tornado of golden light. After a few seconds, the tornado exploded into a bright flash of light.

When it cleared, both of us had transformed.

My hair had thickened and was standing up as if held there by the wind, and was glowing a bright golden yellow. My eyes had also shifted to a bright emerald green.

I looked over to my sister; she had changed as well. Her normally coal-black hair had become the same gold color that my own hair was, and had shortened to about her shoulders, but became spiky at the edges. Her eyes had also shifted from tree-brown to coal black.

"All right, let's do this!" Yuki exclaimed. "I'm seriously in the mood to kick some butt!"

We took a couple steps back, then rushed forward a few yards before kicking off of the ground to fly towards the gigantic Precursor Robot.

Once we were level with the mech's face, I decided to ask.

"Whoever's in there, come on out before I melt your precious robot's motherboard like a hole in the ozone layer!" I shouted.

The cockpit of the robot opened, and sure enough, Gargos and Waltz were controlling the thing.

"You know, why am I not surprised that the two of you are behind this?" Yuki groaned.

"Say goodbye to your precious world, little brats," Waltz proclaimed. "Because you won't be alive for much longer!"

"But in the meantime, we have something to take care of," Gargos stated. "Waltz, if you will?"

"With pleasure, buddy!" Waltz laughed, and the cockpit closed. The Precursor Robot reached down, and to my utter shock, grabbed the base of the Skywhirl Tower and pulled upwards, effortlessly ripping the tower from its foundations.

I was so shocked by this cruel bit of property damage that I didn't notice the robot taking the Skywhirl Tower in its hands like a baseball bat.

"Nick-kun, incoming!" Yuki shouted.

But too late. The Precursor Robot swung the Skywhirl Tower like a mace and sent us both skyrocketing back down to the streets of downtown Misora. We actually made a crater in the street because the impact was that brutal.

This is where I thank my lucky stars for the added defenses we have in our super forms, because that baseball swing hit us so hard I almost started seeing stars. If we hadn't been in our super forms, we'd most likely be _dead_.

"Owwwwwwwww..." Yuki groaned. "That... _seriously_ wasn't nice..."

"Good thing we transformed, or we'd probably be in a bunch of pieces right now," I quipped. "I'm not letting that stop me, though..."

I looked up just in time to see the Precursor Robot swing the Skywhirl Tower again, tearing a bunch of nearby buildings into many pieces.

"Nick-kun! That robot is tearing our beautiful city apart!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Okay, _now_ they've officially crossed the line," I growled. "Let's go send this thing packing!"

Yuki and I dug ourselves out of the crater and rocketed back into the sky.

The Precursor Robot turned around to swing the tower at us again, but this time I was ready, reaching out and using my enhanced strength to catch the tower.

"Seriously, why are you destroying our city?!" I shouted. "If you have beef with us, take it out _with us_, not our beloved home!"

"This is about more than destruction, boy," Waltz shot back. "We are after a target far more valuable than anything in this city of yours."

"Well, if that's the way you're going to play, then _fine!_" I exclaimed, flying under the tower so I could dash forward and slam my fist into the Precursor Robot's stomach area, knocking it back a few feet.

"Man, this thing's a lot sturdier than I thought," I noted. I've typically got a pretty wicked right hook, and with my super form-enhanced strength, that punch should have at least caused a giant crack in that thing's armor.

But to see that I didn't even dent it with that punch, it made me realize that this was a very dangerous opponent.

"So, was this the plan that caused you to be absent for so long?" I realized.

"We had to be sure that there was no way you could derail our plans," Gargos proclaimed. "We have lofty goals to reach, and we are about to claim them."

"The only thing we need to do is take you persistent little wretches out of the picture!" Waltz shouted, and the Precursor Robot threw its free hand out to snatch me out of mid-flight and send me flying away with a powerful pitch.

I'd been thrown through a few buildings before crashing smack into the high school, falling through the gym and bouncing unceremoniously to the floor. I'd definitely be feeling _that_ for a while.

"Ouch..." I groaned as I picked myself up, not really caring about the many students who had seen me crash through the wall like that. Add to the fact that I'm still in my super form... guess it's a good thing that the curse of the witch frogs is long gone.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Kotake asked. "Why'd you go flying through the walls? And why is your hair glowing?"

"Kotake-kun, this isn't the time," I growled. "In case none of you noticed, there's a giant robot smashing up downtown!"

"Really?" Masato replied. "Like we'd believe that."

"Do I need any more proof than _that_?!" I exclaimed, pointing at the hole I'd inadvertently made, where the Precursor Robot could be seen clearly.

"Holy crap!" Kotake exclaimed. "What should we do?!"

"All of you need to get to safety," I explained. "We can't be too careful if that thing decides to make its merry way over here."

"And what about you?" Tamaki asked, and I was definitely appreciative of the concern she showed me. She's definitely changed in the past couple years.

"I'm gonna get back downtown and trash that thing," I proclaimed. Rising into the air a few feet, I quickly shot off through the hole I'd made and back to the downtown area.

"Well, how the heck are we gonna explain this?" Kaori quipped.

"Is it me, or does Kelly-kun look rather handsome with his hair glowing like that?" Tamaki wondered, blushing a bit.

"Oh, boy..." Kotake groaned, a sweatdrop appearing on his forehead.

"You jerk! You don't have the right to mess with my onii-chan like that!" Yuki shouted, hammering at the Precursor Robot with a series of fierce slashes from Tobiume. "And don't even think of trying to take my divine power, because I'd never give it up to freaks like you! That's what you're really after, isn't it?! You're destroying our city so you can force me into surrendering my divine power?!"

"Oh, please, little brat," Gargos proclaimed. "Once we accomplish what we came here for, your divine power will never be a problem again."

"Hey, red-eyes!"

The Precursor Robot only had time to turn around as I flew in and delivered a powerful two-foot kick to its face, causing it to stumble a few yards back.

"You're not destroying my city as long as I'm alive, got that?!" I shouted, holding my hands in front of me.

"Who said you'll be a problem anyways?" Waltz sneered. "Now, Waltz! Open the silos while we still have a chance!"

The Precursor Robot stomped back to where it had ripped apart the Skywhirl Tower, and as my eyes followed it, I noticed something that I hadn't before: there was a strange circular door on the ground where the base of the tower had been. How had I never noticed that before?!

I unfortunately didn't have time to speculate, because the Precursor Robot wrenched the door open to reveal a strange mass of dark goo.

As the Precursor Robot dipped its hands into the muck, I saw a bunch of translucent pipes on the robot slowly fill up with the dark muck.

Okay, you can color me officially confused. But I'm not sticking around to find out what they're planning!

"We are at full capacity, Gargos!" Waltz proclaimed. "We can unleash the Genesis Wave whenever you're ready!"

"Say goodbye to all of your hopes and dreams, you wretched teenagers!" Gargos shouted. "Genesis Wave... ACTIVATE!"

The muck that filled the canisters of the robot suddenly disappeared as the Precursor Robot spread its hands wide. From the center of the robot, a massive energy wave of black, translucent light erupted, spreading out at the speed of lightning across all of Misora.

Whatever the Genesis Wave touched seemed to evaporate into nothingness as it continued to spread.

"Oh, jeez!" I shouted, flying back towards Yuki as the Genesis Wave continued to annihilate everything it touched. I knew the only way that Yuki and I hadn't already been obliterated was because we were in our super forms, though I knew even that reprieve wouldn't last much longer at all.

"Nick-kun, what's happening?! Why is everything being destroyed?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"I have no clue, sis, but we need to get out of here! There's nothing we can do!" I shouted, taking Yuki's hand so we could fly out of the city to a place where the Genesis Wave hopefully couldn't get to us.

Unfortunately, even that was a lost cause, as the translucent black light began to expand from its originating point, covering even the sky above the city.

"What the heck are they doing?!" Yuki shouted.

"This must have been their big plan all along!" I exclaimed, noticing that the glow surrounding me was starting to flicker on and off, meaning that it wouldn't be much longer before I lost my super form, and subsequently, my life.

"Is... is there anything we can do, Nick-kun?" Yuki wondered.

"I don't think so," I admitted. "The only reason we're still here is because of our super forms, and I don't think we can stay transformed much longer because of that wave..."

"So... they really won this time?" Yuki gasped. "We're done for?"

I quickly reached out to hug Yuki as tight as I could. "Even if this the end... I won't let you go alone."

Yuki hugged me back, knowing the end was about to hit us.

"I love you, Nick-kun..."

"I love you, too, Yuki-chan."

Almost as if on cue, we both lost our super forms and the Genesis Wave began to tear at our bodies, almost reaching out to try and annihilate our very existences.

Still, I held Yuki as tight as I could, letting her bury her head in my shoulders so she wouldn't have to see the end with her own eyes.

I couldn't put her through that.

I tried to hold on as long as I could, but the Genesis Wave was too powerful, and I suddenly felt my very soul slipping away from me.

That translucent black light quickly overwhelmed me as my vision began to close down, and I knew that no measure of light and sound would ever pierce me again.

...

...

"_Nick?"_

_Who... who's there?_

"_Nick? Can you hear me?"_

_Who's calling out to me? All I can see is blackness... but somehow, I can see through the blackness... it feels... translucent... enough for me to see through... but what am I seeing?_

"_Nick, wake up!"_

I shot out of bed, drenched in a cold sweat from that strange nightmare. I took a few seconds to calm myself down. Oof, that had been one doozy of a nightmare...

"You feeling all right, Nick?"

I turned and saw Momoko giving me a concerned look.

"Was... was I doing something weird in my sleep again?" I wondered, knowing what had happened the last time.

"You sounded like you were having a really bad nightmare..." Momoko stated.

"To be honest, I don't know _what_ the hell that nightmare was about," I admitted. "I've seen a lot of weird things in my life, but that just about tops them all..."

I noticed that the third spot in our bed (seriously, how did Momoko convince her parents to buy a bed as gigantic as this?!) was vacant, leaving me to wonder where our third guest was.

"Oh, Kirino-chan's outside, drawing the sunrise again," Momoko giggled, effectively answering my unasked question for me.

"That's my sister for you, always drawing everything she can," I quipped, reminiscing on all the times my sister Kirino always brought her sketchbook to the strangest of places. Hell, she brought her sketchpad to the _movies_ once! I'm not making this up, people.

"Might as well get out of bed, then," I groaned. "We do have school, after all."

"Not looking forward to science class, huh?" Momoko giggled.

I had to force down a growl; why did I get stuck in that infernal science class?! "Don't remind me. I'm _dreading_ that stupid dissection thing!"

So, once I was dressed, I came downstairs and, sure enough, there was my sister sitting on the grass of the Asuka house's front lawn, staring into the sunrise and sketching at the exact same time.

Yeah, Kirino can multi-task like nobody's business.

"How's the sketching business going, sis?" I asked.

"So far, so good!" Kirino exclaimed. "I just need to color it and pastel it and it'll be ready for Honoka-sensei!"

"Oh, you're turning that in for art class?" I wondered.

"We're doing something called 'background study', where instead of drawing people, you draw a backdrop like the sunrise," Kirino explained. "I'm doing my best to show off my skills, even if I just want to show that snooty French girl what for. Ooh, I hate the way she just tries to tear me down! So help me god, I'll take her down a few pegs!"

Kirino took a few seconds to notice that I was already completely dressed, despite the fact that it was only five-thirty. "Where are you off to, onii-chan?"

"I'm going to the Majokai," I replied. "The queen's got something to tell me about that might help us turn the tide of this battle we're fighting."

"Well, good luck then, onii-chan, and sock it to 'em!" Kirino exclaimed.

I couldn't help but smile. Kirino's certainly got a way with words (especially when she's watched too much old-school superhero shows).

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"Jou-sama! I'm here!" I shouted once I'd made my way to the Majokai's throne room. I pretty much know the route by heart, due to all the times I've been down this path.

A route burned into my very soul. Call it corny if you want, but that's just what it feels like to me.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and I stepped inside to greet Majotourbillon as I usually did.

"Nice to see you again, jou-sama," I stated, bowing respectfully.

"And the same to you, my dear," Majotourbillon replied, smiling brightly. I would never admit this to anyone (especially Momoko), but I always thought that Majotourbillon was quite beautiful. Yes, I know it's a random thought, but that's how my mind works sometimes.

"You said you had some information for me," I quipped, jumping right to the point. "Something about Morticon?"

"Yes, indeed," Majotourbillon stated, walking up to me and showing me a dusty old book written in ancient, seemingly unreadable writing. However, I easily recognized it as the music note-based writing system of the Majokai.

"What's this, jou-sama?" I asked.

"Majorin and I recently found this ancient tome that appears to date back to the days of the Dusk Zone's rule," Majotourbillon explained, referring to the time many millennia ago when Morticon ruled the magical worlds with an iron fist. "But, if you study this writing closely, it is apparent that this book comes from a time even before that, most likely from the very first days of the magical world."

"Wow, that's freaky," I realized. "But who do you think wrote this?"

"It was Morticon."

"Morticon?! What?!" I exclaimed, quite shocked by this revelation.

"Relax, my dear. This was written by Morticon before he was corrupted into the evil he is today," Majotourbillon replied, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. That had been _way_ too scary. "According to the parts we were able to translate, Morticon had once been a scholar of the human world who eventually learned the magic arts from his wife, a renowned healer."

"I'm shocked they didn't get burned at the stake," I admitted. "People back then always tended to fear magic..."

"The tome depicts Morticon's life in the human world before coming to the Majokai," Majotourbillon continued. "The thing that may surprise you, though, is that he was one of the first three people to create this world of magic through sheer force of his beliefs. Along with two others of his kind, they became the Majokai's founding fathers."

"So... what you're saying is that Morticon is one of the three people who _created_ the Majokai?!" I exclaimed. "Oh, jeez, _that's_ a _really_ scary thought..."

"After a while, he invited his wife to come to the Majokai and live with him," Majotourbillon continued. "However, tragedy struck on a visit to the human world. Morticon had fathered a child with his lover, and it became apparent that the little boy would develop magical powers of his own, due to the powers shared by his parents. Unfortunately, they had chosen to visit the human world during a time when witch trials were common, and many were unjustly accused of being witches."

"Let me guess," I realized as the truth dawned on me. "His wife was accused of being a witch and sentenced to death?"

"Not just her," Majotourbillon replied. "Their child was killed, too. They feared that the child would grow up to be just like the woman."

"That's terrible!" I shouted. "What got into their minds that made them kill people just because of their own suspicions?!"

"If only I knew," Majotourbillon admitted. "But it was not long after this that Morticon fell into despair and declared war on the Majokai and all worlds that would follow."

"So, Morticon's trying to take over everything just because he lost something precious to him?" I echoed. "Wait, something doesn't make sense. Why is he trying to destroy _all_ of the worlds just because of what a few ignorant people did to him? Granted, I'd be extremely pissed myself, but that doesn't justify destroying all of existence!"

"It could very well be justified to him," Majotourbillon replied. "When rage and anguish blind you, it can just as easily corrupt your ideals."

"That's scary," I admitted. "Maybe this could help us..."

"You must do whatever you can to stop Morticon and his crusade," Majotourbillon proclaimed.

I nodded to Majotourbillon, but just as I turned to walk out of the throne room, my vision was suddenly assaulted by a barrage of strange images, almost causing me to faint. Luckily, Majotourbillon was over there in a flash to catch me before I fell.

"Are you okay, my dear?" Majotourbillon asked.

"Ugh... Majotourbillon?" I asked, surprising her by using her actual name for the first time. "Did you ever... you know, get the feeling that something... just doesn't seem right?"

_Meanwhile, back at the MAHO-dou..._

"So, we're basically going up against one of the three wackos who _created_ the Majokai as we know it?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Ooh, _that_ is a scary thought..."

"I couldn't imagine what he's gone through, though..." Hazuki sighed. I had just returned to the Jewelry World MAHO-dou to relay the information I'd learned from Majotourbillon.

"That'd _definitely_ be enough to drive anyone insane," Doremi admitted.

"What I specifically don't understand is why he intends to punish the entire universe just because of a few people and what they did?" Onpu asked.

"It's like jou-sama said," I replied. "Anguish and rage can blind your ideals."

"But that just raises further questions, then!" Aiko shouted. "If this guy is one of the Majokai's creators, as you said, then shouldn't he have god-like power or somethin'? Why does he need his little hooded lackey chick to bust him out if he's got so much power?!"

"He probably can't access that power while he's stuck behind that seal," Momoko answered. "That must be why Erika is helping to break his seal."

"Wonderful," Poppu sighed. "So we're fighting a god-like entity intent on the destruction of everything in the universe. How _original._"

"Yeah, talk about copying from, what, _every other villain in existence_?!" Kirino shouted. "Seriously, can't these nutjobs _ever_ come up with a unique concept?!"

I looked out the window as the other Ojamajos conversed, trying to make sense of the images I'd been assaulted with back at the throne room.

What did those visions mean? Were they just echoes of my nightmare, or did they mean something else?

"Nick? Are you feeling okay?"

I looked at Momoko, noting the look of concern on her face.

"To be honest, Momoko... I'm not entirely sure myself..."

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Two strange figures can be seen approaching Misora.

The figure turns out to be a teenage girl with waist-length black hair and brown eyes much like Nick's. By her side is a young male wearing a matching cloak to hers, but with the raised hood obscuring his features.

"Saiki-kun, do you really need to keep your hood up?" the girl asked her partner.

"It's cold, Yuki-chan," Saiki replied. "Besides, it's not really important."

_I wouldn't be too sure,_ Yuki thought. _Anything that means I can't see your face might be something for me to deal with. Of course, if I said that to you, you'd probably hit me, so I'll keep that thought to myself._

"What's with that face?" Saiki asked.

"Nothing!" Yuki giggled. _He's so CUTE._

Yuki Shinoya considered herself a romantic optimist. She didn't mind going hours or even days without any noticeable progress as long as they got to where they were going in one piece, unlike her far more sensitive and fatalistic partner. She always preferred to look at the brighter side of things, believing that even if you had bad luck, the good luck would come a lot faster.

She promised that she wouldn't even think of dying before wooing the guy she'd been in love with since the instant they laid eyes on each other. Of course, she probably would have gone insane if she hadn't been thinking this. As long as Saiki was close by, insanity was something she couldn't allow to happen.

Especially when considering the mission they were on, where romance didn't really stick out as needed. Certainly not to a defeatist like Saiki.

Saiki Shidoosha was a living contradiction at some points, but it was one of the many reasons that Yuki loved him so much.

"I think there's a festival coming up," Saiki noted as he sat down on a nearby park bench right outside of Misora, close to where the forest ended and the buildings began. "That could be trouble, especially when there's so many people in one place..."

"Eh. The Japanese are pretty sturdy. If they can handle earthquakes, they can handle a little magic."

"Humans aren't as familiar with magic, Yuki-chan," Saiki responded. "Natural disasters are more, well, _natural_. Even if it doesn't diminish the damage that dark magic can do..."

"We should get some sleep then, don't you think?" Yuki proclaimed.

"It's not even seven yet..."

"Come to bed, silly!" Yuki beamed at him, despite the darkness hiding her expression. "I've heard you can see the stars _perfectly_ from here. They're so pretty, and we might catch a falling star if we watch for a while."

Yuki's eyes were practically sparkling at the idea. "We can make wishes! Wouldn't that be awesome?!"

"Wishes?" Saiki gazed to the night sky, seeing the first star light up the scenery. More would be sure to follow, and he'd easily be able to identify all of the constellations if it kept up.

"Such a pipe dream, Yuki-chan."

"Don't _you_ have dreams, Saiki-kun?" Yuki asked, her voice dipping in a way that made Saiki squirm the tiniest bit, even though his answer was as blunt as ever.

"Not really, and I've told you as much."

"Just go ahead and dream your dream!" Yuki giggled.

Saiki merely shook his head in exasperation.

"You've told me as much."

Saiki would have just let it go if he hadn't noticed Yuki stiffen considerably.

"Yuki-chan, what's the matter?"

Yuki shook her head to clear some of the cobwebs. What were those images about?

"I'll... I'll be fine, Saiki-kun..."

For the first time in a _very_ long time, Yuki didn't really believe her own words.

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"Are you sure everything's okay, Nick?" Momoko asked as we both made our way home. "I've been a little worried about what your nightmare was if you're still acting like this..."

I guess there's no point in hiding it from her, is there? I forgot my girlfriend knows me better that I know myself sometimes.

"Well, to be honest, I saw some strange images in that dream," I admitted. "It felt like some kind of parallel universe or something..."

"Freaky," Momoko replied.

"And the weird part is, I think I recognize some of the things I saw in those images," I continued, "like I'd experienced those events in a past life or something..."

"Do you know what might be causing it?" Momoko asked.

"I don't think it's one of Morticon's mind tricks," I quipped. "These visions seem a little too close to home..."

"Well, why don't we worry about them later, when you're ready?" Momoko asked. "I'm sure you don't want to think too hard when you're stressed out."

"Tell me about it," I quipped.

"How about I start making dinner early tonight?" Momoko offered. "Mom and dad are out on an errand, so it'll just be us tonight."

"I think I know what's on the menu," I laughed.

"How can I never surprise you when I'm making veal oscar anymore, Nick?" Momoko giggled.

"You've got an easy tell, silly," I replied.

If I'd been paying attention and not been flirting with my girlfriend, I would have noticed the strange shadowy figure watching me from the darkness of a nearby alley.

"Hmm... I wonder... will events draw that little girl here?"

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"Hey, onii-chan, I'm off!" Kirino exclaimed as she came charging down the stairway like always.

"Kirino-chan, where are you going?" Momoko asked.

"I'm off to the movies!" Kirino giggled. "Some of my friends from art class invited me to a movie, especially Ayase-chan! She's been wanting to see this movie ever since they announced it!"

I reached into a nearby jar and fished out something I'd bought the other day and was hiding just for this occasion. I pulled my hand out just in time to toss a jumbo chocolate bar to Kirino. I know what they charge for snacks at the movies. It's not pretty.

"There you go, sis. Something for you and the girls to share," I quipped.

"Thanks, Nick! I'm outta here!" Kirino proclaimed, rushing out the front door with her backpack haphazardly slung over her shoulder.

"Another giant bar of chocolate, huh?" Momoko giggled. "You _really_ must not trust the theaters..."

"At the prices they sell a basic _soda_?! Screw that stupid logic!" I shouted, my arms waving around as I said it.

"Well, at least the theater Kirino-chan's going to is actually _decent_ with their prices," Momoko replied.

"No kidding, huh?" I quipped, only for a sharp, soul-piercing pain to shoot through my head.

As my eyes reflexively clenched shut, I reached out to clutch the sides of my head to hopefully make the pain stop, but when I was able to open my eyes, I was elsewhere.

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"_Onii-chan, come on! We're gonna be late for the movies!"_

_I smiled teasingly at Yuki. "Sis, we've still got a half-hour before the previews even start. We're not gonna be late. The movie theater's only a few miles away."_

"_Well, yeah, but I wanna get there and find a good seat! All the showings are going to be utterly PACKED if we don't get there now!" Yuki exclaimed._

_That's my sister for you, huh?_

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"_Only gonna say this once, Waltz. Let her go, NOW," I growled, whipping out my wand and instantly transforming it into Nenshou Hikari._

"_Still so feisty even after all this time," Waltz sneered. "But do you even know why I'm taking this cute little girl hostage?"_

"_I don't need to know your reasons, Waltz," I shot back, twirling my weapon and making it very clear what I intended to do with it. "All I need to know is that you're holding my sister hostage, and that's the only reason I need to chop you into little bitty pieces!"_

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"_Nick-kun?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Do you... do you love me?"_

_Why was she even asking? My sister's so silly sometimes._

"_Of course I do. You know that, Yuki-chan."_

_Yuki then flashed her famous smile._

"_Then... I love you, too."_

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"Nick? Is everything all right?" Momoko asked, bringing me back to reality. "You kinda zonked out on me there. Was it... was it another vision?"

"It... it kinda feels like I'm seeing myself in another life, another world or something," I replied when my headache had faded. "I wish I knew why."

"Hopefully we'll get some answers pretty soon," Momoko quipped. "I wouldn't want you to suffer splitting headaches for the rest of your teenage life. It can't be fun."

"You're telling me," I responded.

Seriously, what the heck is going on?!

What are these visions? Are they from the past?

Are they pictures of my life in another world?

And... why does that girl who acts like my sister seem so familiar to me, even though I'm pretty sure we've never met before?

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"Are you a mysterious traveler?!"

Saiki reached down to gently take the child's hands off of his cloak, doing his best not to grimace, giving the girl a tiny smile. "I'm just a tourist. You should get back to your mother, she's probably worried."

"You have weird eyes, mister!"

Saiki's eyes twitched as the little girl dashed back to her mother, squealing in glee. Saiki didn't waste a second in pulling the hood so it completely obscured his face.

"She wouldn't have said that if you weren't moving suspiciously, dear."

"Then how am I _supposed _to walk, Yuki-chan?!" Saiki shouted. Yuki instantly hopped over to him, causing him to freeze as she lifted his chin with her fingers.

"Don't look so downtrodden," Yuki chirped, beaming brightly. "Walk with confidence!"

"That's rich. You have some of the heaviest footsteps I've ever heard of."

"And please stop hiding your face," Yuki replied, Saiki's comment bouncing right off of her as she reached out to brush away the strands of black hair that were even darker than hers, just to see his eyes. "That girl didn't know what she was talking about. You have pretty eyes."

"Beauty is subjective," Saiki replied, clearly implying he didn't like it. "You know, people could get the wrong idea if you keep touching me."

"Whatever! Who cares what they think?!" Yuki proclaimed. "You're the only one I care about."

Saiki merely sighed, a very common thing for him to do. "You're incorrigible."

"Damn straight. What about it?"

"N-nothing, Yuki-chan..."

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"Seriously, Kelly-kun, did you take one too many bonks the last time we fought Erika?" Aiko asked when we all met up at the Jewelry World MAHO-dou for our latest round of magic practice. Naturally, I didn't take that crack very well.

"Um, Ai-chan, I didn't get hit in the head, if that's _even_ what you're implying," I shot back. "And I don't think you'd have strange visions from suffering head trauma."

"We should probably calm down and focus on the matter at hand," Onpu quipped. "Kelly-kun apparently saw something in those visions of his, and they seem to be something from another world. Does anyone know what that might mean?"

"Well, to be honest, I had another vision on the way over," I admitted. Maybe this would help a bit. "It was weirder than normal, though, just a wave of translucent black light... I wonder if that has something to do with it."

"Do you think that someone might be sending you these mental images just to throw you off your game?" Poppu asked. "I honestly wouldn't be surprised..."

"Well, the odd thing is, I don't think anyone's trying to put these images in my head... I don't even know anyone who _can_ do that..." I replied. Seriously, the more visions I get, the less they seem to make sense...

"I guess all we can do is keep on the lookout," Momoko admitted. "If you have another vision, Nick, let me know, okay? We can all take a look and see if we can decipher it."

Before I could put any thought into it, I felt a disturbing presence appear nearby. And I have a feeling I know who it is.

"Kelly-kun, what's the matter?" Doremi asked.

"We need to transform, girls," I replied. "We've got a party crasher outside."

Everyone nodded, whipping out their Jewel Taps.

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Yuki perked up, easily feeling the chill of darkness that pervaded the area. She knew it was time to go to work.

"Saiki-kun, wake up!" Yuki shouted, shaking her love back to consciousness.

"Ugh... Yuki-chan, you know I hate that..." Saiki groaned.

"We need to move! I can sense _her_ nearby!" Yuki exclaimed, and that was all it took for Saiki to wake up completely.

"Then why didn't you wake me up quicker?" Saiki proclaimed. "We need to stop her before anything goes wrong!"

Yuki leapt up, striking a pose, only to nearly fall flat on her face after being assailed by another set of strange images.

"Yuki-chan?" Saiki asked, concerned for his companion's safety.

"There it goes again," Yuki growled. "Why am I seeing these weird images?"

Yuki shook her head to clear her mind. "No time for thinking now! Let's go, Saiki-kun!"

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"_I'll do anything for steak! Ojamajo Doremi, transform!"_

Pink music notes spiraled around her hand and formed her gloves. Doremi did a quick pirouette and flicked her hands forward, her tap disappearing. She tapped her sides, doing a cute pose as the main body of her uniform materialized, her tap situated on the center of it. She clicked her heels twice, the boots materializing as well. Doremi raised her hand so she could catch her witch hat and put it on her head. Her transformation complete, Doremi did a few leaping spins before landing rather gracefully and throwing her arms out as if to welcome someone.

"_The gleaming ruby, Doremi-chi!"_

"_I'll put my studies to work! Ojamajo Hazuki, transform!"_

Hazuki brushed a few locks of her hair aside, and orange music notes formed her gloves. Hazuki tossed her tap into the air and brushed down her shirt, forming the main body of her uniform. She reached down and tapped her shoes twice, forming the boots. She reached up and caught her tap, placing it on the center of her uniform. When her transformation was finished, Hazuki linked her hands behind her back and thrust them behind her, bending over and smiling brightly.

"_The knowledgeable topaz, Hazuki-chi!"_

"_Let's do it to it! Ojamajo Aiko, transform!_"

She clenched her fists and struck a fighting pose, and her gloves formed. Aiko then did a backflip and the body of her uniform materialized. Aiko then leaped into the air again, flicking her wrists out as if to shoot a basketball, and when she landed, her boots formed. Aiko then reached behind her back to grab her witch hat and place it on her head. When she was finished, Aiko threw a few quick punches before placing her right hand on her hip and thrusting her left hand into the sky.

"_The athletic sapphire, Aiko-chi!"_

"_Hello, everybody out there! Ojamajo Onpu, transform!"_

Onpu twirled her hand as if spinning her microphone, which formed her gloves. She then tapped a few spots on her chest and the body of the uniform materialized. Onpu followed this up by bending down as if readying for a race, and her boots formed. She spun around and produced her microphone, singing a few notes as her witch hat fell onto her head. Onpu sheathed her microphone, then brushed her hands across her purple locks before settling them behind her head in an impossibly cute pose.

"_The elegant amethyst, Onpu-chi!"_

"_There's nowhere I won't go for you! Ojamajo Momoko, transform!"_

Momoko immediately jumped, stretching her hands out as her gloves formed. When she landed, she threw a quick uppercut before winking cutely, this forming the body of her uniform. Momoko then did a few dance steps until her boots formed. This done, Momoko reached up to catch and adorn her witch hat. She did a pirouette before slamming both hands down in a pose that made it appear she was aiming for something.

"_The gorgeous pearl, Momoko-chi!"_

"_My name is Hana-chan! Cheese! Ojamajo Hana, transform!"_

Hana wasted no time in throwing her arms upward to form her gloves. She quickly tapped the bracelets she usually wore, and this formed the body of her uniform. Hana then performed a few spinning kicks, forming her boots. When she was finished, Hana grabbed her witch hat and placed it on her head before doing a few windmills with her arms and eventually settling on bending one arm across her chest and reaching to the sky with her other arm.

"_The happy peridot, Hana-chan-chi!"_

"_I say 'bring it on'! Mahoutsukai Nick, transform!"_

I lashed out with a left hook, then a right-handed uppercut to form my gloves. I quickly did a spin before landing with a snap kick, this forming the body of my uniform. I immediately followed this up with a few roundhouse kicks to form the boots. After retrieving my witch hat, I did one more jumping spin before putting two fingers on my left hand to my forehead and throwing out my right hand.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_

"_This is the vivid imagination of the beautiful dreamer! Ojamajo Kirino, transform!"_

Kirino flicked her hands out, and brown music notes spiraled around her to form her gloves. She leaped into the air, cutting a few stylish flips that formed the boots, then landed and flashed a peace sign, this materializing the main body of her uniform. She placed her Jewel Tap onto the center of her uniform, then tapped it twice to produce her witch hat. Her transformation complete, Kirino did a quick roundhouse kick before putting two fingers to her forehead, much like I would, and flashing another peace sign.

"_The dreamy bronze, Kirino-chi!"_

"_I may be small, but I'm as tough as my sister! Ojamajo Poppu, transform!"_

Poppu clapped her hands twice to form her gloves. She bowed downwards to form the body of her uniform. Poppu blew a kiss to nobody in particular and clicked her heels together to form her boots. After grabbing her witch hat, Poppu spun around and put her hands on her hips before posing.

"_The tiny rose, Poppu-chi!"_

"_I'll fight for my future! Ojamajo Fami, transform!"_

Fami flicked her hands out, forming the gloves, before waving her finger like a certain famous hedgehog and doing a cartwheel. The body of her uniform materialized when she landed. She then did a snap kick and a stomp to form the boots, reaching into the air to catch her falling witch hat. Her transformation complete, Fami threw her arms out and leaned forward as if she was showcasing something.

"_The futuristic violet, Fami-chi!"_

We all did a few twirls before settling into our group pose. _"We shall cleanse the darkness with the magic that turns dreams into reality! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"All right, let's get outside and show that homewrecker what for," I proclaimed, suddenly switching to a confused expression as I realized just what the heck I'd blurted out. '_Homewrecker'? Jeez, those visions must be messing with me more than I thought. Erika wasn't the one who put that curse on my parents, so why would I use a word like that?_

Regardless, I recovered myself in time to lead the group outside and face down our enemy.

The strange thing, though? Erika was nowhere to be found.

"She's... not here?" Hazuki asked.

"Kelly-kun, are your senses going dull or somethin'?" Aiko wondered. Her tone seemed to mean it as an insult, but I knew Aiko well enough to know that she didn't mean any harm by it. I knew she was concerned about me due to the visions I've been having.

"I _know_ I sensed _something_..." I responded, throwing my senses out to pinpoint the source of that familiar darkness.

"Your mind isn't as sharp as it could be, dearie. Best have that looked at."

Okay, that _definitely_ didn't sound like Erika.

I did a quick turn to size up the competition, and I saw a strange figure floating in the air a few yards away. She was an adult woman with long, waist-length black hair and piercing black eyes. She was wearing a strange cloak like the one Erika always wears, only hers was a mixture of strange colors.

"Pardon my bad French, but who the hell are _you_?!" I shouted, whipping out my wand and quickly transforming it into Nenshou Hikari.

Wait a second, since when can my wand do _that_?!

Something really strange is going on, and I'm still not sure if it's related to the images in my head...

"That's not very nice, being rude to a lady," the woman proclaimed. "And before you ask again, my name is Majoaku. I have something I need to look for, so if you would kindly get out of my way so I can continue my search..."

"Oh, the one thing you don't want to do is condescend to me, Majoaku," I shot back, gripping my strange new weapon tightly. "I _really _don't like that."

"Is that a fact?" Majoaku retorted.

"Okay, you know what?" I growled. "I'm done talking. Apparently it's not getting us anywhere."

I concentrated, the crystal-covered blade of my weapon sparkling with electricity.

"You're not Thor, you know," Majoaku taunted. "Get your own act."

In response to that crack, I dashed forward at an insane speed, not giving Majoaku any time to react as I performed an uppercut (heavily resisting the rather inappropriate urge to shout "SHORYUKEN" as I did so) that sent Majoaku flying into the air.

I darted after her, performing attack after attack that sent Majoaku flying higher into the air and making it look like we were nothing more than lightning trails zigzagging through the sky.

By the time I'd finished, Majoaku was just floating there, stunned by my attack, and I decided to finish it.

"_Thunder take you! Mystic Arte, Lightning Javelin!"_ I shouted, dashing downwards and slashing straight through Majoaku with my electrified weapon.

When I landed on the ground, I flicked my free hand out, and my attack took effect, thoroughly zapping Majoaku and causing her to fall to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I triumphantly proclaimed. However, my elation was quickly cut short when Majoaku picked herself up. She didn't even have a scratch on her!

"If that's your best shot, then you're nothing like her," Majoaku quipped.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Majoaku calmly looked ahead of us, smiling cunningly. I turned around to see what all the fuss was about, and I noticed a girl about our age standing there, with bright brown eyes similar to my own, long and flowing black hair, and an expression that looked very similar to Majoaku's.

Now that I think about it, those two look almost exactly alike!

"Mother," the girl quipped, obviously not in any mood to be screwing around.

"Miyuki," Majoaku responded. "Or should I just call you Yuki? Fancy meeting you here."

"I'm the one you want, right?" Yuki proclaimed. "How about we take this somewhere else and forget about these people?"

"I don't think so!" I shouted, rushing right back at Majoaku. "You're not getting away from me!"

I hopped off of Yuki's shoulders to propel myself with enough momentum to deliver a powerful slash attack, only for Majoaku to instantly dodge it.

"Hey, listen here, boy," Yuki growled. "She's none of your business, so if I were you, I'd scoot off and let me do... my... work..."

Yuki trailed off as we caught each other's eyes, staring at each other in honest surprise and confusion. Remember how I said she had brown eyes that were a lot like my own?

Well, now that I'm getting a good look at her eyes, I can see that they're _exactly_ like mine!

This couldn't be a coincidence... could it?

Wait just a second! I recognize this girl now! Isn't she that girl from my visions?!

Now I'm _certain_ that this isn't a coincidence.

"As fun as it is to watch you two make kissy eyes at each other," Majoaku taunted. "I had best take my leave. Business before pleasure, after all."

Before I could snap out of it, Majoaku had vanished in a dull flash.

Why do they always run away, too?

"The... the only reason I'm not hurting you for letting her get away is... well..." Yuki stuttered. "I need to know something. Have I met you before? Because you're starting to look very familiar to me..."

"To be honest, miss, I really have no clue myself, even though I'm feeling the same sense of 'I've seen you somewhere before'..." I replied.

"Um, could someone maybe explain what's goin' on?" Aiko proclaimed.

Before I could respond, a massive tremor suddenly shook the area, almost feeling like an earthquake had struck. But we're nowhere near a fault line, so...

As a second tremor struck, I saw the ground a few miles away actually begin to crack apart.

Okay, _now_ I think we're in deep trouble.

"Yuki-chan, what's going on?!" a voice resounded as another new arrival raced onto the scene. He looked almost exactly like Doremi's boyfriend Akatsuki Shidoosha, only his hair and eyes were both black and he was just a bit younger.

"I don't know, but Majoaku got away..." Yuki groaned, only to fall flat on her face as another tremor struck.

"I think we need to get somewhere safe before we get swallowed up by this earthquake business!" Momoko shouted.

"Let's get back to the MAHO-dou," Doremi stated. "Majorika said she disaster-proofed it."

Our minds made up, we all made our way back to the Jewelry World MAHO-dou, avoiding some rather close calls. Seriously, why is an _actual_ earthquake trying to tear our city apart?!

Does it maybe have something to do with that black light I saw in my visions?

I really hope something comes to a head here before we get destroyed by our own hometown...

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Things only seemed to get worse once we were all situated in the MAHO-dou. Now, there were crazy storms that seemed to be as strong as a hurricane along with the earthquake-like tremors that threatened to swallow our fair city whole.

Have I mentioned that I think fate hates me sometimes?

"Majoaku's out there somewhere," Yuki groaned, tapping her foot constantly. She's impatient to get back out there and search for that woman. I know that feeling pretty well.

"Forget it, Yuki-chan," I shot back. "I understand that you want to give your mother what for, but I don't think _any of us_ should leave the MAHO-dou until all of this blows over. It's not safe out there right now."

"Hey," Majorika wondered. "I'm sensing some very powerful darkness... I think it's right in this room, actually!"

Instantly, all of our eyes were trained on Yuki and Saiki.

No one got a chance to inquire anything, as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and I suddenly felt another sharp pain ravage my head.

I couldn't even get my hands up to steady myself, because after another rush of images in my head, I had fallen face-first to the ground, completely unconscious.

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_..._

_..._

_...what?_

"_Onii-chan..."_

_Who... who's calling me?_

"_Onii-chan..."_

_That... doesn't sound like Kirino... who's calling for me?_

"_It's okay, onii-chan. You don't have to be scared."_

_Who are you?_

_How do you know me?_

_And... why do I feel I know you?_

"_Just take my hand, onii-chan. I'll lead you out of the darkness."_

_A hand... reaching out for me._

_This woman... her hand is glowing, even in this translucent darkness..._

_I may as well... take a chance..._

_I reach out for the hand, trying my best to force my way through the darkness that is beginning to smother every aspect of my being..._

_Just as the darkness threatens to swallow me alive..._

_She takes my hand into her own, and the glow surrounding her hand begins to brighten until the darkness is driven away..._

_And... it feels like darkness is being driven out of my mind as well..._

_...what could this mean?_

_These flashes of another world... are they merely images? Crafted by someone?_

_Or are they... memories?_

"_Do you remember, onii-chan?"_

_Who are you? Why do you claim to be my sister?_

"_Because I am. You've forgotten because our memories have been locked away, shunted from our minds by the darkness. Only now, in the face of our crisis, have these memories begun to leak out. I managed to find you, even in this place, consumed by the shadow."_

_I somehow believe that you sound really awkward when you talk like that..._

"_T-that's not the point, onii-chan! What I'm trying to say is, you forgot about me because of what happened. My spirit found its way through the darkness that's been clouding our memories. And now, I have the perfect opportunity."_

_Should... should we take it?_

"_I think so. I miss you, onii-chan."_

_I'm still not sure who you are, really... but I miss you, too. So let's go for it._

"_Roger!"_

_The light begins to glow even brighter, until I can't see a thing anymore..._

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I saw everyone looking at me when I finally opened my eyes. This was apparently a common thing now, as whenever I faint from exhaustion or something related to what we're fighting, I always wake up here in the Jewelry World MAHO-dou with everyone watching me and...

...wait a second.

This isn't the Twin Bells MAHO-dou.

Wait, where am I getting these weird names from?!

I think for a second, trying to decipher what's going on here...

...and then, everything makes sense.

My memories came flooding back to me, even though I'm sure they'd been erased.

I glanced over to the cot at the other side of the room, where Yuki was sleeping.

Saiki looked a little apprehensive as I walked over to Yuki, but I guess that's to be expected.

"Hey. Wake up, princess."

I gently shook Yuki by her shoulders, knowing she could whip out her weapon in reflex. It's happened a good few times, people.

"Uh... wha... what happened? Why do I feel so sleepy?"

"Maybe you should stop staying up all night, then."

Yuki snapped her gaze onto mine when I said that. I can tell by the growing smile on her face that she remembers, too.

"ONII-CHAN!" Yuki exclaimed, diving over to hug me. "Onii-chan, it's really you!"

"Well, of course," I replied, returning my sister's hug. "Who else would I be?"

"Wait, I thought we got annihilated by that wave thingy," Yuki quipped. "How are we still up and kicking? And why does everything look so different? This _definitely_ isn't the Twin Bells..."

I shrugged my shoulders. Even with my memories restored, I still have no clue why everything is the way it is. "Wish I knew, sis. But I still can't shake the feeling that this has something to do with that 'Genesis Wave' thing they hit us with."

Saiki shot to his feet at the mention of that. "Wait. Did you say 'Genesis Wave'?"

"Um... yes, I did. What's the problem?"

"If what you just said is true, then I think I may know why your memories were acting up," Saiki replied. "The Genesis Wave is, hands down, the most heinous dark magic spell ever conceived. It takes many years of practice to be able to successfully unleash even a localized Genesis Wave. That's how powerful it is. According to old wizard world legends, the Genesis Wave is the strongest dark magic spell ever to be created, and one of the most powerful magic spells in existence. It channels untold amounts of dark magic and releases it in a 'wave' that spreads to everything it touches. By using certain kinds of magical energy to balance it, the Genesis Wave has the ability to rewrite the very fabric of reality. It's done by rearranging the time and space of a dimension, effectively allowing its user to create an entirely new timeline by pretty much rewriting the history of its timeline."

"So THAT'S why everything's so different!" Yuki exclaimed. "Why you don't look like the Saiki-kun I know, why this Misora is completely changed, why Nick-kun and I lost our memories... it all makes sense now!"

"Yeah, but does it explain what's up with the sudden earthquakes and hurricanes?!" I exclaimed, my usual impatience flashing through.

"That's the part I was afraid of when Yuki-chan and I arrived here," Saiki continued. "A rather nasty side effect of the Genesis Wave is that the alterations it forces upon the affected dimension can damage it due to the unnatural shift in reality, literally forcing the reality in question to 'snap'."

"So, basically, our planet is tearing itself apart because this isn't the reality it's supposed to be?!" Hazuki exclaimed.

"So THAT was their dastardly plan all along!" I shouted, finally realizing what the Delegates of Darkness planned to do with that robot of theirs. "They meant to alter reality so we wouldn't be a thorn in their side anymore!"

"Wow, they're more sadistic than I thought," Yuki quipped. "But, Saiki-kun, how can we get things back to normal before reality tears itself to shreds?!"

"You would most likely need to counterbalance the effects of the Genesis Wave with a powerful spell of light magic," Saiki proclaimed. "If you can use light magic that is stronger than the dark magic of the Genesis Wave, you should theoretically be able to undo the effects and return this reality to its original state."

"Yeah, but we'd need a lot of magic to do that!" Fami exclaimed. "The Majokai Crystals are with jou-sama right now, and I'm not too sure how well the Majokai is faring in the face of this disaster!"

Speaking of disasters, another tremor passed through the area.

But this one felt different somehow.

Just to make sure, I raced to the window of the MAHO-dou...

...and sure enough, I saw a very familiar giant robot smashing through anything that stood in its way.

"Yuki-chan, we'd better get ready to fight," I quipped. "The homewreckers are back!"

The Precursor Robot stomped through the streets of Misora, unaffected by the chaos surrounding it, proclaiming in a loud voice...

"Your days in this pitiful dimension are numbered!"

"Okay, what the hell is THAT thing?!" Aiko exclaimed, gaping at the size of the Precursor Robot.

"That's what we were fighting before the Genesis Wave flung everything out of whack," Yuki replied. "I don't think it can pull off another Genesis Wave, but with the way reality's tearing apart, we can't take any chances. Nick-kun, we need to transform and take that thing down!"

"Already all over it, sis," I quipped.

Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I stood back to back, joining hands and posing again, and both of us shouted _"We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"All right, let's go tear that sucker a new one," I proclaimed.

One giant flash of light later, all of our fellow Ojamajos had transformed as well.

"Hey, no way in _hell_ you're leaving us out of the fun!" Kirino giggled. "I wanna smack those jerk-faces upside the head for what they're doing to my beloved city!"

"Yeah, as the protectors of our hometown, we're not gonna let these freaks walk all over us!" Doremi shouted.

"Wow, when did you get so bold, Doremi-chan?" Onpu teased.

"H-hey, I just wanted to feel like a superhero for once! I'm sure I do it a lot in the other reality!" Doremi squealed, to which all of us laughed.

Yep, even in this new reality, Doremi still hasn't changed.

Nodding to my partners, we all rushed out into the nearly-destroyed city of Misora to confront this new threat and save our reality from collapsing.

"Well, well, bothersome witches," Waltz's voice rang out. "Fancy meeting all of you here!"

"Hey, buddy, who the hell do ya think you are, anyway?!" Aiko shouted in direct challenge. "You have no right to transform everything in existence just because you want your 'unneeded variables' out of the picture!"

"Yeah! Add to that the fact that your little Genesis Wave thing is tearing reality apart!" Doremi exclaimed. "How can you rule over a dimension that's been destroyed?!"

"Oh, we have plans," Waltz replied. "We won't let reality destroy itself. We just need to destroy all of you, and then we can use the power we've stored in this robot to cement the changes to reality. Then, the disturbances will stop."

"Even so, do you really think we're gonna let you get away with _any_ of your sick plans?!" Momoko shouted.

"Waltz, let's just destroy them," Gargos proclaimed. "I'm personally sick of their useless bantering."

Yuki and I joined hands and bravely took a few steps towards the towering Precursor Robot. This thing wants to throw down? All right, then!

"Listen here, Gargos," I shouted. "Yuki-chan and I made a sacred oath that we would _never_ let you take over our world!"

"And yet you just can't seem to take the freakin' hint!" Yuki exclaimed. "Two and a half years, and you _still_ haven't learned anything from all the times we've stomped your butts?!"

"W-what?! How do you know about us?!" Gargos exclaimed. "We rewrote this entire reality! You should have no memory of us!"

"We just needed a little help in returning to the light," Yuki giggled. "And you still want to drown our world in darkness?! Well, sorry, buddy, but this game ends right here and now!"

"On our very lives, Yuki-chan and I are going to annihilate the both of you _and_ your robot!" I shouted. "You are _not_ leaving this reality alive!"

"Waltz, what should we do?" Gargos asked. "We may not be able to rewrite reality again, since we used most of this robot's stored power in actually using the Genesis Wave... even with what we have left, we might not be able to use another one..."

To Gargos' surprise, Waltz was staring like an insane idiot at the power chambers, which contained the magical power they'd used to activate the Genesis Wave.

"Waltz? What the hell are you doing?!" Gargos exclaimed.

"Yes, it is finally time!" Waltz proclaimed.

"Time for what?!" Gargos growled. "Don't even _think_ of taking that power for yourself, you psychopathic bastard!"

"And why shouldn't I?" Waltz shot back. "I deserve this power! After the way life has treated me, I deserve to be the true emperor of this world!"

"Wha... are you betraying our organization, Waltz?!" Gargos shouted. "Are you intending to betray even our leader, who has generously taken you in despite the atrocities you've committed?!"

Despite the accusations, Waltz stood proudly as he continued. "None of you pathetic humans deserve to live! You have the gall to think that I am betraying _anything?!_ Everything I've ever done in life is for my own ambitions! I serve _no one_, Gargos!"

"You... you planned this from the beginning, didn't you?" Gargos gasped. "You were the one who suggested to use the Genesis Wave... how long have you been concealing the contents of your twisted mind from me, and especially our lord?!"

"None of your concern, _buddy_," Waltz proclaimed. "Now that I see my opportunity, none of you will be able to stop me!"

"You will not have this satisfaction!" Gargos shot back, charging straight for Waltz.

I stood there for a couple seconds, wondering why nothing was happening. The Precursor Robot wasn't even moving.

Before I could inquire, though, an explosion resounded from the side of its head, and Gargos was sent flying into a crashing tumble through a nearby building.

"Yeah, you suck!" Yuki shouted. "Try again when you can put up a fight!"

"Um, sis? I think we've got bigger problems!" I replied. "That thing's changing!"

As I looked on, the Precursor Robot eventually changed its form so that it looked like Waltz had merged with the machine, giving him a bit of a cyborg look. Even worse, though, was the fact that he was now growing even larger in size, and his power was dramatically increasing.

In my professional opinion...

...I think we're in trouble now.

"That's right, all of you wretched fools! This reality and all others shall soon belong to me!" Waltz proclaimed. "You will all bow down or be destroyed by your new overlord, the Genesis King!"

The Genesis King (seriously, what the hell kind of name is _that_?!) began marching through the city, unaffected by the hurricanes and earthquakes and mercilessly tearing apart everything that got in its way.

"Oh, this is very bad," Saiki stated.

"No crap, Sherlock," I shot back. "We need to follow that freak and shut him down before he annihilates Misora!"

"Well, Kelly-kun, we're with you all the way!" Doremi exclaimed.

"Yeah, we're not letting that psychopath tear apart our world!" Momoko shouted.

"Girls, you're the best friends I could ever possibly hope for," I responded, smiling brightly. "Now let's _move out!_"

"ROGER!" everyone else shouted, and we all brandished our wands and charged after the Genesis King.

After a while of chasing him down (he's really fast for something so gigantic; hey, I never said magic made any sense sometimes), we caught up with the Genesis King near the suburbs where we all used to live.

"Hold it right there, Waltz!" I shouted, catching the Genesis King's attention. "Stop rampaging like a numbnuts and fight me like a man!"

"What point would there be?" the Genesis King shot back. "It won't be much longer before reality collapses and I remake everything in my own image. There would be no reason for me to waste my precious new power fighting you when you are all about to be erased from existence forever!"

The Genesis King reached down, snatching Poppu off the ground faster than I could react.

"Hey! Let my sister go!" Doremi shouted.

"By all means!" the Genesis King shouted, reaching back and then throwing Poppu baseball style.

"POPPU!" Doremi shouted.

"I'll get her!" I responded, focusing my magical power and dropping out of my witch outfit, only to transform immediately into my super form.

I didn't waste any time in shooting into the sky to rescue my fellow witch apprentice.

Fortunately, with my transformation-enhanced speed and strength, it was easy for me to dart through the air like a lightning bolt and catch Poppu before she could go splat on anything.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I... I guess... jeez, that was scary..." Poppu gasped. "Now I feel sorry for all the times I used to tease you..."

"Huh?" That got me a little interested.

"It was when we were younger," Poppu explained. "Right before we met the FLAT 4, that was when we met you. As we grew older, you would babysit me often when Doremi was out doing... whatever. I kinda... used to get frustrated because everyone believed I was nothing but a little kid. I actually thought that way about you when you first started, so I used to tease you about it. But over time, I realized that you saw how mature I could be, and I just let it go."

"Definitely a lot of different things about this reality," I noted. "Yuki-chan and I didn't meet you girls until after your last mission, when you awakened Majotourbillon."

"Wait, didn't we give up our powers, then?" Poppu asked.

"Well, almost. They were coming up on a decision, but the queen let them keep their powers so we could fight Nightmare. And then, we kinda got wrapped up in the Delegates of Darkness, and..."

"Okay, okay, Kelly-kun," Poppu giggled. "You don't have to tell me your life story, silly."

"Agh... sorry, Poppu-chan..." I quipped. I forgot that when I'm telling stories, I tend to go off on all sorts of different tangents... it's actually gotten me in big trouble on a few separate occasions. Not 'you did a bad thing' trouble, but 'holy crap, I almost lost my freakin' _head_' trouble. It sucks to have ADHD sometimes...

"It's okay," Poppu replied. "Thanks for saving my life."

Poppu leaned over and kissed my cheek, causing my face to go a little red.

Poppu turned around, and gasped loudly.

"KELLY-KUN, INCOMING!" Poppu shrieked. I turned towards where she'd pointed and saw the Genesis King's fist coming right at me.

"Oh, crap!" I exclaimed, darting downwards just in time to avoid the strike that probably would have ended both of us, taking the chance to fly back to where the others were.

"Are you all right, onee-chan?" Doremi immediately asked.

"Of course," Poppu giggled. "Kelly-kun saved me."

"Girls, this really isn't getting us anywhere," I stated, disengaging my super form so I could regain some of my power and maybe get back some more time to actually use it. "We've gotta think of something to do before this giant cyborg reject destroys this reality."

"He's wickedly strong, Nick-kun," Yuki replied. "I don't think we're gonna be able to take him out in our usual ways..."

Unfortunately, that distraction had cost us pretty dearly, as the Genesis King had stomped his way to a very familiar house.

I tried to dash over there, but I was a little exhausted from using my super form so haphazardly like that, and I couldn't make it in time as the Genesis King lifted his enormous foot and smashed it down onto the Asuka household, crushing the entire house and everyone I knew was still in it.

I looked back at Momoko, who had been sent into a shocked state.

Just... that look on her face... my girlfriend should never have that devastated expression on her lovely face...

Oh, that's _it!_

"You know something, Waltz?" I growled. "You've really crossed the line now."

"Oh, really?" the Genesis King proclaimed. "What line, exactly, have I crossed?"

And now this son of a bitch has the nerve to _condescend_ to us?!

"You want me to count it off for you?" I shot back. "Rewriting reality just to get rid of us, destroying the city we cherish so much, _harassing me and my sister for two and a half YEARS_, but you know what? This is the last straw!"

Yuki seemed to know what I was going to do, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"When you kill someone I care about, you crossed a line that you're not meant to cross!" I shouted.

Yuki and I raised our hands into the air, golden energy surrounding us in a fierce, raging whirlwind. The energy eventually exploded outwards in a bright flash, transforming both of us into our super forms.

The only difference was that this time, I felt a lot stronger than I normally do in my super form. This was evident by the sparkles of magic that were flowing around us.

"Looks like we got an upgrade, onii-chan," Yuki giggled.

"Welcome to the next level, indeed," I quipped. "Now let's go make that bastard wish he'd never been born!"

"You said it!" Yuki shouted, and we both took off in a flash, ready to confront the Genesis King for real.

**("Live and Learn" by Crush 40 plays)**

To my honest surprise, Gargos joined our flight path.

"What do you want, jerk?!" Yuki shouted.

"Much as I loathe it... I'm going to help you," Gargos growled.

"And why, exactly, would you do that?" I wondered.

"As much as it pains me to say it... I don't exactly hate you two. I'm just following my lord's orders," Gargos proclaimed. "Besides, as much as I hate the idea of working with my enemies... I hate traitors even more."

Yuki put her hand to her chin and thought for a few seconds. I know why she's acting like this.

"All right, then," Yuki quipped. "We're calling a temporary truce between us so we can take this cyborg guy out of the picture. After that, all bets are off, got it?"

"Exactly what I expected you to say," Gargos stated.

"There he is!" I shouted.

The Genesis King turned around to meet our gazes.

"Oh, so you've persuaded him to join your cause?" the Genesis King taunted. "How despicable of you."

"Shut it, Waltz!" Gargos shot back. "The only thing I hate worse than working with my enemies is a traitor! You dared to betray us, so now we're going to destroy you!"

"Can you actually back up your claims?" the Genesis King sneered.

"Why do they always have to be so cocky?!" Yuki growled. "Don't they know that's a villain's biggest weakness?!"

"He's been like that all of his life," Gargos admitted.

"Really?"

"All right, back to the business at hand, how do we actually take care of this guy?" I wondered, scanning the Genesis King for any sign of a weakness.

"Here, let me save you the trouble!" the Genesis King proclaimed, flying higher into the sky and using his hands to apparently wrench open the sky itself, revealing a pulsing mass of quivering blue light.

"What the heck is he doing?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"He's trying to force this dimension to collapse!" Gargos shouted. "If we don't act fast, we're _all_ dead!"

"Oh, that's it, Waltz! You've made a monkey out of us for the _last time!_" I exclaimed, and we all dashed off through the skies, following the Genesis King into the dimensional fold.

Once we were inside, the rift we'd entered from closed until only a speck remained.

"I'm holding the rift open for as long as I can!" Gargos exclaimed. "You two just go end him!"

"Acknowledged," I quipped, turning to the Genesis King. "Well, well. Just you and us now, Waltz. You're not getting away this time."

"Oh, really? I am all-powerful in here! There's no way you can stop me!"

"Is that a fact? Let's test that out, then!" I shouted, bringing my hands back. _"The force of a boy's determination, take this! Ojamajo Sparkle Spiral!"_

I thrust my hands forward and unleashed a large spiral of silver energy that rocketed through the void and struck the Genesis King, drilling into his chest and cracking the armor plating. Score for me!

"Wh-what?! How is it possible for you to wound me?!" the Genesis King exclaimed. "I am all-powerful!"

"I really think you have some crossed wires, Waltz," I shot back. "You get a little power and you let it all go to your head! That's the worst mistake any villain could ever make!"

"I will teach you to make a mockery of my new-found power!" the Genesis King shouted, reaching out to try and punch me out of the sky. I dodged around the punch and fired another Sparkle Spiral into his chest, this time shattering the chest armor...

...only to reveal another armor piece under it.

"Okay, that's seriously not nice," I growled.

"NICK-KUN, HELP!"

I spun around and noticed that the Genesis King had used its other hand to grab Yuki when I wasn't looking.

"Let her go, you son of a bitch!" I shouted.

"I don't think I will," the Genesis King shot back. "I think I'm going to crush this little girl instead. Divine powers or not, you're all expendable!"

The Genesis King tightened its grip on Yuki, causing her to scream even louder, and that was all the proof I needed.

I summoned Nenshou Hikari and darted towards the Genesis King, ready to knock some sense into this deranged psychopath.

Once I was close enough, I began charging my weapon for a powerful attack.

"Eat this, you jerk! _Divinity Wave!_" I shouted, swinging my weapon and unleashing a wide-area wave of light that sliced through the Genesis King's hand like a knife through flatbread, severing the appendage and allowing Yuki to break out of the hand's iron grip.

"Ooh, that actually hurt... I'm gonna have to sleep that one off for a few days..." Yuki groaned, rubbing the side of her chest.

"You okay, sis?" I asked.

"I should be," Yuki replied. "Thanks for protecting me, onii-chan."

"I'm not gonna break my promise."

"You wretches! How dare you take away anything that makes me superior to these pitiful humans?!" the Genesis King proclaimed.

"Okay, I'm getting sick of your boasting," Yuki growled. "Let me take care of this one, okay, Nick-kun?"

Yuki brought out Tobiume and began to concentrate.

"You will not!" the Genesis King bellowed, charging straight for Yuki.

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki chanted, swinging Tobiume and unleashing a wide-field barrage of dark blue lightning bolts that struck the Genesis King and stunned him for a precious few seconds.

"_Mystic Arte, Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki shouted, flying a few feet into the air and bringing Tobiume down hard, creating a blade of twilight energy that slashed fiercely at the Genesis King, actually causing more cracks in its chest plate. Hopefully it won't be much longer before we can get to this thing's core!

"Got you!" Yuki giggled.

"I will not bow down to humans who are inferior in every possible way to me!" the Genesis King exclaimed.

"You _are_ a human, Waltz!" I shot back. "How can you consider your own people inferior to you?!"

"Have you seen the world we live in today?" the Genesis King continued. "Human beings, my own kind, have been seduced by the dark side of their existence! Such pathetic ideals do not deserve to exist!"

"With every word you spout, you just keep making less and less sense, Waltz," I responded. "And I'm getting pretty frickin' sick of it! You need to learn how to put the past where it belongs!"

"And I think you're not going to accept my ideals," the Genesis King growled. "Very well, then! I will destroy you and scatter your souls to the forewinds!"

"Nick-kun... how long as it been since we transformed?" Yuki asked. That definitely caught my attention.

"Um... about twenty minutes. Why?"

"Well, normally, we can only hold our super forms for fifteen. What's going on?!"

"I think it's the powerup we got from transforming like we did," I admitted. "Since we got stronger, I guess we can hold our super forms a little longer."

"How long do you think?"

"Hopefully long enough to finish this freak off."

"Finish _me_?!" the Genesis King proclaimed, immediately bursting into maniacal laughter. "What hope do you have of vanquishing _me_, the overlord of this world?!"

Yuki and I joined hands. "Simple."

A bright white energy aura surrounded us, joining with the usual gold aura of our super forms.

"We have each other," Yuki and I stated at the same time.

We both flew forward at insane speeds, not giving the Genesis King any time to react as we both slashed at his chest with our weapons, this time causing some _very _serious damage.

"Hey, I think it's working now!" Yuki exclaimed. "Let's keep the pressure up, onii-chan!"

We did a quick u-turn and went back to slash at the Genesis King's legs, causing it to keel over in pain.

"I will _not_ submit to the likes of you!" the Genesis King shouted, raising its remaining hand to slap me out of the sky, but I countered with an upward slash, then a strong overhead chop that severed that hand as well.

Yuki flew in right after me, bringing Tobiume down hard and launching a cluster of pink energy spheres that exploded on contact with the Genesis King, damaging him enough to reveal his 'core', so to speak.

"Nick-kun, I can see his core thingy!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Right! It's all mine!" I shouted as I charged forward again, ready to finally end this nonsense.

"N-no! No, this cannot be! I am the supreme overlord of this world and _all worlds!_" the Genesis King bellowed.

"Oh, will you just shut up already?!" I exclaimed, thrusting Nenshou Hikari forward the instant I was close enough and piercing right through the Genesis King's core.

I looked up at the Genesis King for a few seconds, relishing in the shocked look on his smug face.

"What was that about being supreme?" I taunted. The Genesis King attempted to raise its stump of an arm to attack me, but I responded by wrenching Nenshou Hikari out of the core and causing Waltz's blood to spray everywhere. The Genesis King went completely still.

"Is... is it over?" Yuki asked.

"Yep. It's done," I responded.

"Good riddance to that blabbermouth," Gargos proclaimed. "I really hated that jerk as well."

"Really?" Yuki wondered. "Did he do something to you, too?"

Before Gargos could answer that, the Genesis King started moving again, struggling to reach us.

"I... will... never... submit!" the Genesis King bellowed.

"How are you still alive?!" Yuki shouted. "Nick-kun slammed that crystal blade into your _freakin' heart!_"

"I should have known it wouldn't be that simple," I growled. "Yuki-chan, let's just blast him into space dust and get back home."

"Roger!" Yuki giggled, reaching out to join hands with me.

A whirlwind of translucent energy began to surround us the instant we joined hands.

"_To the beings of hope..."_ Yuki chanted, black wind surrounding her free hand.

"_To the beings of spirit..."_ I continued, green wind surrounding my free hand.

"_Together with the ones that reside between light and dark, gather into our own hands and dispel the evil with our purity!"_ both of us chanted, letting our arms rest around each other while drawing our free hands back. The whirlwind surround us became more intense with each passing second.

"_Double Ojamajo Twilight Whirlwind!"_

We thrust our hands towards the Genesis King, unleashing two whirlwinds of our respective color that eventually joined into one gigantic cyclone that screamed through the void and struck the Genesis King, piercing through the hole I'd made with my weapon and carving an even larger hole through the hybrid behemoth.

When the attack was over, the Genesis King could only float there with a massive hole blasted in its chest.

I was definitely pleased to see that thing start to dissipate. After about five seconds, the Genesis King was no more.

"YES! We win after all!" Yuki exclaimed, throwing herself at me and hugging me. "Good riddance to bad rubbish!"

"That's one asshole out of the picture," I proclaimed triumphantly. "Gargos, if you can do it, open the rift so we can get out of this mess. My eyes are starting to hurt from all this blue."

Gargos nodded, using his arms to wrench open the rift we'd arrived in, allowing us safe passage back to Misora, which still looked like it was on the verge of collapse.

All three of us flew back to the others and touched down to thunderous applause from the girls. Knowing that we've done good, Yuki and I snapped our fingers to disengage our super forms.

"You guys made it back!" Doremi exclaimed. "Did you take care of the giant robot thingy?"

"Robot king is down!" Yuki proclaimed. "That's one homewrecker out of the picture."

"And just the other guy to go, right?" Aiko wondered.

I snuck a glance at Gargos, silently telling him to just leave.

"Wh-wha...? You're not... going to take this chance and fight me as well?" Gargos asked, honestly confused.

"Just go away," I quipped. "I know you've got something that protects you from the effects of the Genesis Wave. How else would you still be around and know about us?"

"If you knew, then why did you...?"

"We have our reasons, Gargos," Yuki replied. "Just take your protector thingy and go. We've got our own problems to handle here, so we'll deal with you another day."

Gargos grinned. "Well, all right, then. But don't think I'll be going easy on you once it's time."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied as Gargos vanished in a dark flash.

"Okay, now back to the business at hand... how do we fix reality before it's too late?" Kirino asked.

"You need a light magic spell that's stronger than the dark magic the Genesis Wave uses in order to reverse its effects and restore your reality to normal," Saiki explained again.

"There's our real problem... where are we going to find magic that's THAT powerful?" Poppu proclaimed. "Jou-sama has the Majokai Crystals, but I don't think I want to know how torn up the Majokai is with all of this going on..."

I suddenly had an idea.

"Yuki-chan?" I asked. "What about your divine power?"

Yuki gasped in surprise. "Oh, yeah! That'll do nicely!"

I noticed the strange looks on everybody's faces, no doubt wondering what kind of power Yuki was holding.

Before anyone had the chance to ask, Yuki closed her eyes and put her hands together. After a couple seconds, her body began glowing brightly, and her black and white angel wings unfolded from her back.

"This'll probably take a couple seconds to charge, so hold on just a bit, okay, Nick-kun?" Yuki explained.

"So... I think the question that's on everyone's mind is... what's going to happen to us once reality is restored?" Onpu asked.

"I'm pretty sure that both sides of this reality are going to be taken back to the way things were before the Genesis Wave," I answered. "So, hopefully everything will work out."

"Nankurunaisa," Yuki replied, uttering our magic word.

I looked over at Momoko. "And that means you'll get your parents back, Momoko."

Momoko nodded, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "Thank you for avenging them, Nick. It really meant a lot to me."

Momoko walked up and kissed me. Yep, she's just like my Momoko.

"Oi, you two, honestly..." Aiko groaned.

After a while, Yuki's body flashed multiple colors. "Okay! I'm all set to fix our broken reality!"

"Go ahead and do it anytime you're ready, sis," I replied.

Yuki raised her hands to the sky as if gesturing to the gods themselves. Two seconds later, a massive dome of white light erupted from her body and expanded until it seemed to encompass the entire city of Misora.

As this was occurring, I felt the strange feeling of having my very soul taken from me again, only this time, it felt like instead of being taken from me, I was being taken from a body that wasn't mine and taken back to where I belong.

I could just barely see the others through the light. I waved to them, and surprisingly to me, they waved back.

That was the last thing I saw before the light blinded me.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Nick-kun? Hey, Nick-kun, wake up!"_

I reached out to clear the light from my eyes. What was that all about?

"Nick-kun, hello?"

"Yes, Yuki-chan, I'm awake. You don't have to keep dialing."

Yuki reached out to help me get to my feet.

Just then, I realized something. I quickly rushed to the window and looked outside.

It was a nice, sunny afternoon, and...

Yes! The Skywhirl Tower's still there!

"Yuki-chan, we did it!" I exclaimed.

"I know that, onii-chan," Yuki giggled. "I was the one who used the spell."

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Momoko asked, standing only a few feet away. "Did I miss something, by any chance?"

From what I could decipher, it looks like we've been sent back in time to just before the Precursor Robot first arrived in town. And now that Waltz is out of the picture, hopefully life will get just a little easier.

"We'll... we'll tell you at lunch, Momo-chan," Yuki giggled, reaching out to hold my hand.

As Momoko walked out of the room to talk to her parents, I looked back at Yuki. "That was one hell of an adventure, wasn't it?"

"No kidding," Yuki replied. "Let's just hope the next adventure we go on doesn't make reality collapse. That thought was actually pretty scary."

"Let's just take it easy for a few days," I stated. "The Delegates of Darkness will _definitely_ be regrouping for a while after _that_ butt-kicking. I mean seriously, they reshaped reality itself and they _still_ can't beat us! When are they ever going to learn that they can't beat us?!"

"You're rambling again, onii-chan..."

"...sorry."

Yuki walked up, and out of nowhere, threw her arms around me.

"Yuki-chan, wha...?"

"I love you, Nick-kun."

I couldn't help but smile. I'm the one always telling myself to live for the moment and make the most of every day you have. Just because you can live a long life doesn't mean it can't come to a short end, right?

"I love you, too, Yuki-chan."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Gargos, what exactly happened out there?"

Gargos clutched his chest, exhausted from fighting in that strange dimension. "The Genesis Wave failed, my lord..."

"Because of Waltz turning traitor, the plan was defeated."

Gargos groaned in frustration. "At least that blabbermouth is out of our way."

"Gargos, I can tell that you know what I am about to say to you," Jeff proclaimed. "Our plans are in jeopardy now. I am only giving you one more chance to take these ignorant children out of this world. Fail, and not even god himself can save you. Do you understand me?"

Gargos knew it was pointless to argue that the Genesis Wave had only failed because Waltz had betrayed the Delegates of Darkness, because Jeff would not change his stance on this issue.

"Yes, my lord."

_Sometime later..._

Okay, so it's been about two months since we foiled the Delegates of Darkness' latest plot to take us out of the picture.

They must have been _really_ desperate this time, because they used a powerful dark magic spell called the Genesis Wave to pretty much rewrite reality itself so we wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Thankfully, it must not have been powerful enough, because Yuki and I recovered our memories and took down Waltz, who merged with his Precursor Robot to become something called the "Genesis King". Since we annihilated him in between the dimensions, there's no way he's coming back this time.

With that all said and done, Yuki used her divine power to undo the effects of the Genesis Wave and restore everything to the way it should be.

I haven't seen hide nor hair of the Delegates since. Which is good for us, since it means they've pulled back to lick their wounds.

Thing is, I don't know how long this silence is going to last. Guess all we can do is make every second count.

I suddenly heard footsteps approaching rapidly. Wonder what Yuki's excited about this time?

Yuki almost burst into our room, slamming the door open so fast it didn't even feel like it was there.

"Hey, Nick-kun! Guess who's coming back home today?!" Yuki exclaimed, thrusting her cell phone right at my face.

I took a good look at the text message being displayed on the screen.

_Hey, Yuki-chan! Been way too long, hasn't it? Well, I have some reeeeeeally good news for you! Dad's got a new job, and the home office for that job is in Misora, so that means I'm coming home! I FINALLY get to see my two favorite cousins again! I'll probably be home sometime tonight, so please be somewhere where I can find you easily, okay? We've got so much to catch up on!_

_Many kisses,_

_Kohinata Nanoka_

I looked up at Yuki, and she was smiling brightly.

Needless to say, I was happy to hear that our cousin Nanoka was coming home after three years. She left Misora a day after Yuki's eleventh birthday, but she never really told us why, only that it had something to do with her uncle.

Our cousin Nanoka Kohinata is, shall we say, a unique kind of person. She's one of those girls that may seem nice and aloof at times, but it's really only a front. Nanoka's really an energetic girl who can easily make friends, but underneath that is a girl who you definitely don't want to mess with.

Yeah, I say that about of a lot of my friend and family members, but it's especially true with Nanoka. She helped Yuki and I out with a lot of our bully problems during our elementary school days. Trust me when I say that Nanoka is a force to be reckoned with when she's angry.

I mean, seriously, this one jerk who insulted Nanoka's dress one time got a busted nose in one hit!

A lot of times, Yuki and I have had to hold Nanoka back from actually injuring some of those bullies. She's got a lot of pride, by the way.

All in all, Nanoka's definitely a great person, but you don't want to make her mad, or you'll regret it.

Flipping out my cell phone, I quickly sent a text to Nanoka so she'll know to meet us at Momoko's house. I have no idea what Yuki's been telling her about the events of the past three years, so I don't want to take a chance at this point.

_Hey, Nanoka-chan, meet us at Momoko's house, okay? We're all gonna have a buffet tonight to celebrate your return!_

_Stay gold,_

_Nick Kelly_

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"Okay, so do we have all the ingredients?" Yuki asked. The two of us were positioned in the Asuka family kitchen, ready to make our own contributions to the meal that we would all be having to celebrate Nanoka's return to Misora.

"Yep," I replied. "We've got everything we need. Now all we need to do is cook it."

Yuki gave me a rather incredulous look. "Nick-kun, are you criticizing my cooking skills again?!"

I had to start laughing at that. "Come on, Yuki-chan, we know you and I both suck at cooking."

"Then why were you giving _me_ that strange look?! I'm not a sucker when it comes to people mocking me!"

"It's just so fun to do it."

"T-that's no excuse, onii-chan!"

Thankfully, Momoko poked her head into the kitchen before things could escalate. Yuki was very sensitive about her almost non-existent ability to cook (I feel for her, though, I'm not much better at it), so I didn't feel like pushing my luck.

"Everything okay in there, you two?" Momoko asked.

"Nick-kun's teasing me about my cooking," Yuki groaned, pouting like Doremi often would.

"Why didn't you ask for help from the expert?" Momoko giggled, walking into the kitchen. "I know how to cook better than anyone my age can."

"Well, then maybe you could help us, then?" I asked. "Because even if Yuki-chan sucks at cooking, I'm not faring any better."

"Why didn't you just ask me in the first place?" Momoko wondered as she walked over to help us with the ingredients. "Could have saved a lot of trouble."

As we continued to cook, I started to worry that I'd accidentally crossed a line when I was teasing Yuki earlier.

I looked over to her, and she unexpectedly dipped her hand into the flour and dabbed a bit on my nose.

Yuki stuck out her tongue while smiling playfully, and I easily felt a lot better.

I worry about whether I've actually hurt my sister's feeling even when I'm just teasing her.

Sometimes I can't tell. Call it another downfall of my hardwired big brother instincts, but it's the truth.

After a couple hours, we had finally finished cooking what we had decided on, with a lot of help from our future patissierie.

"You think she'll like it?" Yuki asked.

"With all the love you guys put into it, I'm sure she'll love it," Momoko giggled.

"Um, Momo-chan? _You_ told us how to make everything," Yuki responded.

"But you guys made it yourselves," Momoko interjected. "Doesn't matter who or what was giving you the instructions."

I was about to reply to that when a loud series of knocks resounded from the living room.

Now, I was excited. There's only one person I know who knocks like that.

Apparently, Yuki beat me to the punch, dashing out of the kitchen so fast it looked like she'd never been there to begin with.

Wrenching the door open (and almost ripping it right off of its hinges! Jeez, Yuki, seriously?) revealed a girl about our age, with wavy black hair that reached down to her waist and dark gray eyes. It honestly suited her, what with her personality and all.

"Right to the punch as always, huh, Yuki-chan?"

"NANOKA-CHAN!" Yuki exclaimed, throwing herself at our cousin Nanoka Kohinata. She'd definitely grown in the past three years, and she looks like she's ready to become the heartbreaker I always said she'd be when she grew up.

"Good to see you guys still remember me," Nanoka giggled.

"Like we could forget, even after three years?" I teased.

Nanoka looked behind me, noticing Momoko standing there. Oh, yeah, I'd almost forgotten that Nanoka hadn't actually met Momoko before, as I'd met her not too long after Nanoka left.

Nanoka walked around, studying Momoko carefully.

"Um..." was all Momoko could say.

After a few seconds, Nanoka looked back and flashed a thumbs up to us. "I approve!"

"Was that...?" Momoko asked.

"It's just a thing she does," I replied.

"You hungry, Nanoka-chan? It must have been murder not getting to eat anything for four straight hours..." Yuki asked.

"Don't remind me," Nanoka groaned. "At least I got to take a nap on the way. It's SO FREAKIN' FAR from Miyagi!"

"Well, we've got some food lined up in the kitchen," I continued. "We all decided to make a big buffet to celebrate your return!"

"Aw, you didn't have to do that for little ol' me," Nanoka laughed.

"How could we not do that for our favorite cousin?" Yuki immediately responded.

"Well, then, my stomach's growling up a storm, so let's chow down!" Nanoka exclaimed as we all rushed into the kitchen.

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A bright flash resounded, and another training dummy fell to pieces.

Gargos didn't waste any time in rushing towards his next target, forming an energy blade on his hands and making three clean slashes. This dummy collapsed into shreds as well.

From target to target, area to area, Gargos was showing no mercy, even though his targets were mere simulated dummies.

_Those two mocking me just won't get out of my head,_ Gargos thought as he leapt at another dummy and sent it flying with a powerful spinning kick. _I'll teach them to criticize me! After this, those two will wish they'd never had the audacity to mess with us._

Letting the thoughts of his failures power his determination, Gargos reached out to grab a dummy and toss it into another dummy, then firing a powerful dark wave that annihilated both of them in one shot.

_One of us won't survive this next battle. I know this for sure. No matter what happens, this will be our final showdown. And even if I fall, I'll take them down with me. That's not a threat, you bastards. It's an iron-clad promise._

Gargos continued his attack, eventually finishing by brutally slamming his fist through a practice dummy's head and ripping out everything inside of it.

"You seem to be quite focused, Gargos," Jeff proclaimed, stepping out from the shadows. "You're making a mockery out of our training grounds. I assume you wish to be at full strength when you go to confront the children?"

"They've made a mockery of me for the last time, my lord," Gargos proclaimed, his hands still glowing with dark energy. "When I see them again, they'll wish they'd never been born."

"You know what is at stake, Gargos."

"I understand, my lord. That is why I wish to ask for permission to use 'the realm'."

Jeff contemplated the statement, knowing exactly what Gargos was talking about. "Granted, but only as a last resort. You know what that place can do to someone who is unprepared to use its power."

"Understood, my lord. I promise you, even if I am defeated, it has been an honor serving you and the Delegates of Darkness to achieve our shared dream. Those miserable brats you have as your children will not get the better of me."

With that, Gargos when back to his training, focused only on achieving his full, unrestrained strength.

Jeff smiled wickedly. Everything was definitely coming to fruition.

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"Wow, that was delicious," Nanoka sighed as we all watched the sunset from the bedroom. "You guys sure know how to cook! Did you actually take a class while I was away?"

"Well, to be honest, we kinda had some help," Yuki admitted. "Momo-chan's a fantastic cook, and I'm not any better at cooking now than I was three years ago..."

"So Momo-chan's a cutie, a sweet person, AND she can cook like nobody's business?" Nanoka gasped. "Well, well, Nick, looks like you caught a winner!"

Of course I blushed heavily at that. It's just the way she said it! I'm glad Momoko didn't hear that; I don't know how she would have reacted.

We all traded stories for a while, wondering what Nanoka had been up to while living in Miyagi.

Just as the sun was about to disappear over the horizon, Nanoka unveiled something that definitely surprised both of us.

"I forgot how beautiful Misora evenings are," Nanoka stated. "It really puts everything into perspective."

_Should I tell them?_ Nanoka thought. _They're my cousins, and they'd understand anything. But what will they think of me? ...ooh, Nanoka, this isn't the time for an existential dilemma!_

"Hey, Nick? Yuki-chan?"

"What's up, Nanoka-chan?" Yuki asked.

I could definitely tell Nanoka was nervous about something. She usually tends to fidget a lot when she's nervous.

_Screw it. There's no point in hiding it from them._

"The three of us... we've never kept secrets from each other, have we?" Nanoka asked straight-out.

"Only if we have a _really_ good reason for keeping it a secret," Yuki answered. "Your exact words, Nanoka-chan."

"Well, that's the thing," Nanoka continued. "I... there's something I want to show you two. It's something I learned in Miyagi, but I want to know... this won't change anything between us, will it?"

"Of course not, Nanoka-chan," Yuki giggled. "You're still our favorite cousin, and no matter what happens, we won't think any less of you. Scout's honor!"

"But you were never in scouts," I quipped.

"T-that's not the point, onii-chan!"

"Thanks, you guys. You're the best," Nanoka replied. "Now, _please_ try not to freak out, okay? I don't know how you'll react to this..."

Nanoka reached for her jeans, fishing around in her pockets to pull something out.

When I got a good look at the item she'd retrieved...

"Nick-kun... is that...?"

"_Visualize! Ojamajo Fortissimo, Start!"_ Nanoka exclaimed, confirming our suspicions by flipping her Spiritual Phone open and drawing a G-clef note in front of her.

A grayish-silver music bar extended out from both sides of the G-clef, gently constricting around Nanoka's body and forming into a dark blue witch outfit.

Her transformation complete, Nanoka did a pirouette before throwing her right fist into the air and waving her left hand as if greeting someone.

"_The billowing cobalt, Nanoka-chi!"_

Naturally, Yuki and I were quite surprised to see Nanoka transform like that.

"W-what?" Nanoka gasped. "I didn't freak you guys out, did I? I don't know how you feel about witches, so I..."

Yuki and I nodded to each other. Yuki and I stood back-to-back as we flicked our hands out, this motion flipping open our Spiritual Phones. Drawing a circle with them, we managed to create an energy ring that floated around us, eventually flying to just above our heads.

"_Hybridize! Ojamajo Concerto, Start!"_ we both shouted, and the energy rings floated down around us, covering us both in a sheet of energy that quickly dispersed and left us in our witch outfits.

When we were fully transformed, we slammed our Spiritual Phones onto our wrists, closing them up so they appeared to be wristbands.

"_The smiling quartz, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki shouted, performing her post-henshin pose.

"_The sparkling diamond, Kelly-chi!"_ I shouted, performing my own post-henshin pose.

Yuki and I quickly performed our group pose after that. _"The world's youngest witches with the power to save the planet! We are the Ojamajos, guardians and defenders of the witch world!"_

"W-wh-wha?" Nanoka gasped. "You guys, too?"

"That's why we weren't _that_ surprised to see you transform," I quipped. "It helps to make the transition a little smoother."

"But still, our wonderful cousin became a witch! That's really cool, Nanoka-chan!" Yuki exclaimed, diving at Nanoka to hug her. "When did it happen?!"

"Oh, about a year after I left," Nanoka explained. "My teacher's definitely a bit of a goofball, but I think that's what endeared her to me. She taught me a lot of really cool spells, too!"

"Did you pass all of your exams?" Yuki wondered. Nanoka just smiled and raised her hand. There, situated on a bracelet that looked like it could have some special-ordered from the Twin Bells, was a cobalt magical crystal shaped like a star.

"Oh, that's AWESOME!" Yuki proclaimed.

"You must have learned pretty fast, huh?" I realized. "It took us almost four years to get our crystals."

"Really?" Nanoka wondered. "Must have been a long time to wait for each of your exams, then?"

"Well, actually..."

So we once again continued our storytelling, regaling Nanoka with the tales of how we'd actually been given our magical crystals for defeating Zanza, how we'd been dealing with our father turning against us, and all of the adventures we've been on.

"Wow. I wish being a witch was like that for me," Nanoka admitted. "I'm so jealous, actually. You two got to go on all kinds of amazing adventures!"

"Well, chalk it up to the Delegates of Darkness for never staying out of our hair," Yuki quipped.

"Is... is he one of them?" Nanoka asked, pointing to the bedroom window.

And sure enough, who else but Gargos was floating there, the same condescending sneer on his face as always.

"Hey, hey, hey, what the hell are you doing here, freak?!" Yuki exclaimed, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Oh, so you're dressed up already?" Gargos taunted. "Nice to see you came prepared for my arrival."

Gargos then set his eyes on Nanoka. "And a new one has joined the fun. Interesting."

"You watch those creepy pervert hands, buddy, because if you make one false move towards me, I'll slice them into pastrami!" Nanoka exclaimed.

"All right, Gargos, what's your game?" I shouted, getting right to the point. "What exactly are you nutjobs planning? It's been two months since the Genesis Wave, so that's gotta count for something."

"Unfortunately, we cannot proceed with our plans unless we remove some troublesome variables from the picture," Gargos proclaimed.

"Um, hello?! You already tried that with the Genesis Wave, and that plan got shot down, so what could you possibly be up to?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Nothing right now," Gargos continued. "The reason I'm here, essentially, is to issue a challenge to you two little pests. I will reach the peak of my strength within three days, so at that point we will have our final showdown. And I assure you, this time I will not fail."

"Why issue the challenge at all, then?" I shot back. "Why not just start fighting us now?"

"I wish to be at my full, unrestrained strength for this battle, and I'm sure you do as well," Gargos explained. "I promise that only one side will walk away alive."

"Fine, then," I conceded. "Three days. We'll settle this then, you homewrecker."

"I look forward to it," Gargos proclaimed before vanishing in a dull flash.

Nanoka just stared on for a few seconds. "Okay, so what was THAT all about?!" she exclaimed.

"He's one of the problems we told you about," I replied. "Apparently he wants to throw down one last time."

"Well, I say bring it on!" Nanoka shouted. "I'm not afraid to go a few rounds with this creep-o!"

"Nanoka-chan, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, I really think it should just be Yuki-chan and I for this one," I reprimanded. "The two of us have almost three years of experience in dealing with this nutcase. And we just reunited again, so I don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

"Just let us deal with the homewrecker, okay?" Yuki stated. "We just don't want you getting caught up in the crossfire. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Aw, you guys are so sweet..." Nanoka giggled, reaching out to hug both of us. "But for now, let's just enjoy our time together and not ruminate on mister creepy smile, okay? The three of us, we have so much to catch up on!"

We all snapped our fingers, reverting to our normal selves. Then, completely out of nowhere, Nanoka threw herself at us, and we all fell in a heap onto the bed, laughing all the while and feeling like we were four years younger again.

And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world.

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Jeff gazed around the darkness that filled his headquarters.

Everything was coming to fruition, even with Waltz out of the picture.

"It will not be much longer, will it?" Jeff proclaimed to nobody in particular.

"My lord, it is time," Gargos stated, stepping out from the shadows. "I am ready for what I must do."

"Do it, then," Jeff responded. "Wipe those meddlesome children out of existence."

"No matter the outcome of this battle, my lord, it has been an honor to serve you. This I swear to you."

With this said, Gargos waved his arm and vanished in a dark flash.

Jeff was about to reach for his staff when something in his mind...

...it felt like something had cracked.

Jeff immediately clutched his head as a wave of pain spread through his mind.

"Get... get out of my head!" Jeff shouted, his voice no longer dark and smooth, but pained and desperate, and sounding more human.

To his great surprise, a voice responded.

"**How long have we played this game? Three years you have let me control your body. And now you wish to expel me?"**

"I... made a terrible mistake... allowing you into my life!" Jeff shouted, trying in vain to keep control of his body.

"**And you only admit this now. Humans sure are stubborn."**

Jeff cried out as another wave of pain scythed through his mind... and then he quieted, returning to the calm and collected dictator he had been mere seconds before.

"I will not submit to you."

Jeff gazed upwards to the skies above. "I hope you understand that."

_Meanwhile, at the Twin Bells MAHO-dou..._

"Hey, where are those two?" Majorika asked, looking around for two of her students.

"They're out back," Aiko quipped. "They're still training."

"STILL?!" Majorika exclaimed. "They haven't been coming to magic practice for the past three days now! What's the big deal?!"

"From what I heard, they've got a big fight coming up, and they want to be at their best for it," Onpu noted.

"They got challenged by that Gargos guy who's been hounding them for the past three years," Doremi explained. "He wants one final battle with them, and Kelly-kun and Yuki-chan are trying their best to be at full strength when it's time."

"They could at least come to practice, then! It's only an hour out of twenty-four in a day!" Majorika shouted.

Everyone started laughing at this, glad to see that Majorika was mostly the same as they'd remembered.

"I do hope they aren't overdoing it, though," Hazuki wondered.

"They're strong," Momoko answered. "And they're persistent. They won't let that stop them."

"Just like them, huh?" Poppu giggled.

Just then, the back door opened.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Fami asked, rushing up to both of us. I can't blame them for being worried because of how we look. I'll admit, we've come out of training before looking far worse just because Yuki wanted both of us to stop holding back.

That particular time... didn't really end well, let me tell you.

"Mostly," Yuki giggled. "Training tends to be like that for us. Also... you girls may want to fix the back yard, because Nick-kun and I _really_ did a number on it..."

Laughing nervously, Yuki gestured to the back yard where we'd been training. It was, suffice it to say, a complete mess back there, especially considering that Yuki had launched a Radiant Moonlight at me.

"ACK!" Majorika exclaimed, obviously freaked out. "What did you do to my beautiful shop?! Don't think you're not paying for that!"

Yuki placed herself right in front of Majorika, all playfulness gone. "Majorika-san, don't give me any of that crap. You know how strong Gargos is, and he's not gonna be holding _anything_ back. Nick-kun and I need to be strong enough to take care of this bastard once and for all, and your constant complaining about your shop isn't going to help matters at _all_. So don't start, got it?"

Majorika just stood there, shocked totally silent.

"Yuki-chan, I think you just did the impossible," Doremi quipped, causing all of us to burst into hysterical laughter.

Okay, that was pretty therapeutic considering the intense battle session we just went through.

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"It's a nice day, isn't it, onii-chan?" Yuki asked me. It was the start of the third day of our respite, which meant Gargos would most likely be showing up any minute now and we'd get dragged into what would undoubtedly be the toughest battle we've ever faced.

"Fall's finally in full swing," I quipped. "So now the afternoons are actually bearable, unlike that crap we had to deal with during the summer..."

"Is there anywhere you want to go, Nick-kun? You know, before it's time?" Yuki asked.

"Hey, why don't we head down to the bay?" I realized. "There's supposed to be this really cool boating event down there, and I know how much you love sailing after all the hours you've sunk into Wind Waker."

"Sounds like a plan!" Yuki giggled.

Turns out, I was right after all. The people responsible for this event had tricked out their boats and constructed a makeshift obstacle course to show off their skills.

"Did you see that, onii-chan?" Yuki exclaimed. "That guy just did a freakin' McTwist!"

"Makes me wonder how it's possible, considering how gigantic some of those boats are," I replied.

I looked at my sister in surprise when she looped her arms around me.

"It's nice to spend time together, isn't it, onii-chan?" Yuki asked. "Just the two of us enjoying our lives."

"Majonomi-san always told us to make the most of our lives, to enjoy every moment we have together," I replied. "Wise words, indeed."

"Majoren-san told me the same thing," Yuki continued. "I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with you, onii-chan. You and I know better than anyone that fate is a real bitch, so if we're ever ripped apart by fate, at least I can say that I spent all the time I could with the most precious person in my life..."

Yuki looked me straight in the eyes. "Even if fate decides it wants to tear us apart, I won't let it. No way is destiny taking you away from me."

"When did you get so philosophical, Yuki-chan?" I laughed.

"I think I learned it from you," Yuki giggled, her eyes twinkling.

"Wonderful speech. Do you always talk about fate when you're alone?"

I didn't flinch at all, not wanting to cause the crowd to start rioting. Trust me, that wouldn't be fun.

"We like to muse about things when we're alone. It's a common human thing to do," I replied.

"And why would you think I'm not a human like you?"

"Because you and your ilk gave up your humanity years ago, when you sold your souls to the darkness," Yuki shot back to the voice.

"Oh, please. We still have our souls, little girl, but the darkness we command now is more than enough to put you pathetic humans in your place."

Not wanting to hear any more of this nonsense, I jumped to my feet and whipped out my wand, only to notice Gargos had disappeared.

"Was that just an illusion?" I wondered. "Was he just trying to get in our heads?"

"NICK-KUN, WATCH OUT!"

I spun around too late, as a gigantic purple energy sphere smashed into me with all the force of a runaway freight train, exploding into a shower of sparks and throwing me straight into the bay.

As I recovered to come up for air, I was already reaching for my wand, transforming it into Nenshou Hikari. So that little bastard wants to play sneaky? Okay, then, we'll play that game!

Once I'd fished myself out of the water and pushed through the citizens that were going berserk upon seeing _that_, I steadied myself, knowing Gargos would show up any second.

Guess he just couldn't wait any longer.

"All right, Gargos, if this is the time you wanna throw down, then show your ugly face so Yuki-chan and I can pound it into submission!" I shouted.

And sure enough, Gargos arrived in a flash of darkness. But he looked different this time; he was a little more muscled and his hands were surrounded by wavy spheres of dark energy.

"Let's put an end to this, Gargos," Yuki growled, summoning Tobiume into her hands. "We've had more than enough of your constant annoyances, so I think it's time we taught you a lesson!"

"Yeah, you've crossed us for the very last time, you son of a bitch!" I continued. "On the honor of my mother and everyone else you've slaughtered to fulfill your sick ambitions, you will _not_ be leaving this place alive!"

Gargos simply sneered. Typical. "Very well, then. But I'm afraid you'll have to catch me first."

With that, Gargos rocketed away from us, flying over the ocean itself. Seriously, is he trying to troll us or something?!

"Nick-kun, we really don't have a choice here," Yuki stated matter-of-factly. "Let's bust out the glowy and sink him."

I nodded to my sister as we stood back-to-back, not really caring about anyone who could see us. This wasn't a time to be hesitating.

Swirls of golden energy surrounded us, and when it cleared, Yuki and I were floating a few inches off the ground, having transformed into our super forms.

During a recent magic practice session, Yuki and I had tested out our super forms, and we discovered that thanks to the power boost we achieved when fighting the Genesis King, we can now hold our super forms for thirty minutes instead of fifteen.

Guess it was time to put that newfound power to the test.

**("Mach Σ - For Dream Dance Act 1" by Falk plays)**

"All right, Yuki-chan, let's go get him!" I exclaimed. Yuki nodded, and we both shot off after Gargos, making our way out onto the open seas in pursuit of our mortal enemy.

If we had stuck around a few seconds longer, we would have noticed Minori and Kenzou standing there, shocked at what they'd seen.

"What... did I just see?" Minori gasped.

"You're asking the wrong person, dear," Kenzou responded.

Minori suddenly felt someone touch her arm. She looked over to see Momoko standing there with a smile on her face.

"Let's just let them take care of business, okay?" Momoko quipped. "I'll explain everything when they get back, I promise."

"If you say so..." Minori replied, slightly relieved, but still confused.

I looked over at Yuki, who had her arms spread wide and had a bright smile on her face, as if she were having the time of her life. I can't blame her, though. How many people get to do this, flying across the ocean like you came right out of Peter Pan?

"This is pretty cool, huh? Flying over the ocean?" Yuki giggled. "Sometimes, I love being magical..."

"I'll admit, it's pretty cool," I stated. "There's a lot of things I've always wanted to do that magic's actually let us do..."

"There he is!" Yuki exclaimed, pointing ahead of us. "Homewrecker at three o'clock!"

I caught a good look at Gargos and noticed that he had changed slightly. He was now sporting a strange pair of gigantic hawk wings that brimmed with darkness.

"So what's your trick this time, Gargos?!" I shouted, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Gargos didn't say a word this time, opting instead to charge at us so fast that we only saw a transparent image of him before being knocked back by an extremely swift slash attack.

I spun around to recover my balance and struck back, landing a resounding uppercut against his jaw.

Gargos quickly recovered from the attack and sped away, his new wings apparently allowing him to move a lot faster across the ocean than he could before.

I dipped down slightly to give chase, my feet slightly touching the water as I flew and creating a trail of waves behind me. I sped up just enough to keep up with Gargos without losing any excess energy.

"Why are you running, Gargos?!" I shouted. "Stop being a chicken and fight me like the man I thought you were!"

That seemed to be enough to bait Gargos into attacking, as he rushed straight at me. I aimed a flying kick that intercepted Gargos' strike just in time, only to be sent flying back by an almost instantaneous slash from Gargos' newfound wings.

"Okay, seriously, how are you that fast now?!" I growled, just barely avoiding another strike from those wings.

"My training has paid off as well, brat," Gargos taunted. "So don't expect this to be easy just because we're both on even ground!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, buddy," I shot back, performing a sort of backwards barrel roll loop to dodge another wing strike and charge forward before Gargos could retaliate, striking Gargos with a fierce palm slam to the stomach that temporarily dazed him.

"Yuki-chan, go for it!" I exclaimed.

"Got it, onii-chan!" Yuki exclaimed, raising her hands towards Gargos. _"The waves of my own feelings, take this! Ojamajo Twilight Rain!"_

I darted out of the way as Yuki unleashed a flurry of twilight energy bursts that hammered home and forced Gargos back. I moved just out of Gargos' range so I could prepare my own attack.

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!"_

I fired off an emerald beam of energy shaped like a javelin, only for Gargos to surround himself with his hawk wings and easily deflect the attack.

"Oh, that's just not nice!" Yuki shouted.

"Whoever said we had to be fair?" Gargos sneered.

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

I rushed forward to trade blows with Gargos, making sure to avoid those deadly wings. After a few rounds, I unsheathed Nenshou Hikari and thrust it forward, easily piercing through one of Gargos' wings.

Before Gargos could strike back, I slashed downward, tearing a large gash in the wing and causing Gargos to growl in pain. Looks like I did something right!

"You wretch! Just because you caused damage doesn't mean you've won this yet!" Gargos shouted. "I have yet to reveal the full power I've attained through my training!"

"Then stop being a blabbermouth and let's have at it," I shot back.

Gargos let out a battle cry and charged at me.

_Big mistake,_ I thought.

I waited until he was close enough, then did a reversal around Gargos and quickly swung Nenshou Hikari as hard as I could, effectively severing his damaged wing.

"Score one for us!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Do not think this is the end!" Gargos proclaimed, ascending into the sky (I noticed it was a little difficult for him with one of his wings cut off) and spreading his arms out. Multiple spheres of darkness appeared around us, all ready to converge at any second.

"Oh, crap," I noted.

"Now fall to the darkness!" Gargos exclaimed, slamming his hands together.

"_Light be thy sustenance and destroy the enemy!"_ Yuki chanted, her body glowing a bright yellow. _"Mystic Arte, Sacred Shine!"_

Yuki threw her own hands out, and a gigantic golden energy field expanded from her body just in time, as the spheres of darkness flew at us, disintegrating on contact with the Sacred Shine.

"Way to improvise, sis," I quipped.

"Hey, I'm pretty good at thinking on my feet," Yuki admitted, flashing a thumbs up to me.

"You may have the initiative now, but how long do you think it will last?" Gargos growled.

"Don't start acting like Waltz," I chided, dodging another strike from Gargos' good wing. "He got super cocky and look what happened to him!"

"Oh, like I give a damn about that psychopath," Gargos stated. "I'm glad he's dead, anyway! He was holding me back this whole time. But now that he's no more, the gloves are coming off!"

Gargos instantly teleported in front of me, his hand glowing with darkness.

"_Shadow Claw!"_ Yuki shouted, shrouding her own hand in darkness and leaping in front of me to intercept Gargos' own strike.

"You hold such tremendous dark power within you, Shinoya," Gargos quipped.

"Shut your face _right now_, Gargos, because I know where you're going with this," Yuki shot back, swinging Tobiume and cutting through the remaining wing. "You're nuts if you're offering something you _know_ I'd be out of my mind to accept!"

"But you of all people know how despised darkness is," Gargos replied.

"That's only because of stupid myths and legends and people fearing what they don't understand!" Yuki exclaimed. "My darkness is a part of me, just like my light! I accept the darkness inside me! So don't give me your lip about giving into the darkness when you assholes sold your souls to it ages ago!"

Yuki did a quick spin kick to knock Gargos away, then hopped back, raising her hands into the air.

"_The force of a little sister's pride, take this! Ojamajo Star Shower!"_

Twilight energy bursts shaped like stars began to rain down on the battlefield, causing heavy damage to Gargos.

"Nice one, sis," I stated.

"Majorika's been teaching me that one for a while," Yuki admitted. "But let's talk about that later, Nick-kun. This jerk just refuses to drop dead!"

I took notice of that; even with one of his wings severed, another heavily damaged, and looking like he was getting exhausted, Gargos didn't look anywhere close to a point where we could easily finish him off.

Guess all we can do for now is stay on the offensive until we see an opportunity.

"You brats will pay for your insolence!" Gargos shouted. "I won't lose to you this time!"

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that, won't we?" I taunted, dashing forward to hopefully sever his other wing, only to be countered and tossed backwards.

Suddenly getting an idea, I dived underwater, making it look like I'd been knocked unconscious by that last blow.

"Onii-chan!" Yuki exclaimed. "Ooh, you're going to pay _dearly_ for that one!"

"Come at me, then," Gargos replied, and Yuki brandished Tobiume and struck hard.

While underwater, I kept following the battle that was unfolding. Thankfully, my relative inexperience at swimming doesn't really matter when I can fly in this form, so it was easy for me to keep up.

I brought out Nenshou Hikari and swung it hard, unleashing a Diamond Tempest attack straight for Gargos.

"Get back here so I can chop you into little pieces!" Yuki shouted.

Just as she was about to strike again, the Diamond Tempest wave I'd unleashed flew right by Gargos, easily distracting him.

Just the tell I needed.

Not wasting a second, I surfaced just in time to swing Nenshou Hikari again, this time finding purchase and severing Gargos' other wing clean off.

Gargos stumbled at this, giving me the perfect opportunity to jet forwards and slam the crystal-encased blade straight through his chest.

"You... wretch..." Gargos gasped.

"Now, Yuki-chan, let's hit him while he's out of it!" I exclaimed, seeing our opportunity. I wrenched Nenshou Hikari out of Gargos' chest and rushed back to Yuki.

Yuki nodded, knowing what I wanted to do, and wrapped her arms around me from behind. Our bodies began glowing with a bright, multi-colored light.

"_O sad soul, rejected by life..."_ Yuki chanted.

"_O lonely spirit, drifting between the planes of life..."_ I chanted.

Energy began to spiral around us as I held my hands towards the stunned Gargos.

"_We will sever the chains that constrict you to this world and cleanse your spirit of the darkness that taints you!"_ we both shouted, bright silver energy gathering in my hands.

Gargos couldn't do much in his stunned state, thankfully, so this looked like it was gonna be the finishing blow.

I couldn't help but smirk victoriously.

"_Double Ojamajo Divine Absolution!"_

Yuki did a pirouette as I unleashed the energy I'd gathered in the form of a massive wave of light that struck Gargos and knocked him down to skid across the waves. Not content with just that, I charged up my power again and released another wave of light that almost sunk Gargos with how hard it struck.

For the grand finale, I spread my arms outward, creating many spheres of light, each one a different color. Before Gargos was able to get his bearings, I slammed my hands together, and all of the energy spheres converged on Gargos and exploded into a brilliant flash of rainbow light, the sheer amount of damage forcing Gargos to revert to his normal self.

"Wait, wait, that didn't kill him?!" Yuki exclaimed. "That should have finished him off no problem!"

"I'll... I'll admit, you two are worthy opponents," Gargos gasped, clutching his wounded chest. "Never in my life have I faced such challenging adversaries. But I'm not the type who just concedes in a heartbeat. I still have a trump card left, and this one will surely be your downfall!"

Gargos retreated, moving extremely fast back towards Misora.

"He wouldn't!" Yuki exclaimed. "Nick-kun, we've gotta stop him!"

"Yuki-chan?" I asked, a little worried now. "How long has it been since we transformed?"

Yuki looked at her watch. "Twenty-eight minutes. Oh, jeez, that's not good!"

"Then we'd better hightail it after that freak!" I shouted.

Yuki and I turned around, towards Misora, and dashed off like lightning bolts in hopes of catching up with Gargos before it was too late.

Even without his wings, Gargos seemed to be just barely faster than the speed we could muster, and began pulling away from us as we inched closer to Misora.

"Come on, come on! You're not getting away from us, Gargos!" Yuki shouted, inching closer with every passing second. After a few seconds, Misora was clearly visible, leading us right back to the harbor where we'd started this showdown.

"Sorry, brats, but this is where the game ends," Gargos proclaimed, snapping his fingers. A strange-looking portal opened far ahead.

"We've only got a minute left, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed. "We've gotta keep moving!"

As Misora approached rapidly, Yuki and I clenched our fists and rocketed ahead with all the speed we could possibly muster, somehow managing to catch up to Gargos just as he was about to enter the strange portal he'd opened.

"Looks like we're going in, onii-chan!" Yuki shouted as Gargos entered the portal with the both of us not too far behind.

And for a few seconds, I couldn't see anything but refracting light.

"Ugh... my head... why is it always my head?"

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to adjust to the strange area we had found ourselves in. Regardless, we definitely weren't in Misora anymore.

All around us, I couldn't see anything but trippy kaleidoscopic backgrounds, odd-looking towers that seemed to rise to infinity, and all manner of sparkly silhouettes surrounding this entire realm.

"What the hell? Did we end up in Doctor Who again?" Yuki groaned, rubbing her head as she gazed at the surroundings.

"Well, wherever we are, I feel a ton of magical power," I replied. "Whatever this place is, it's got a lot of strange energy stored in it."

I cast a glance back at my sister, and I noticed something strange.

She was still in her super form.

What? It's been over thirty minutes, so what's the deal?

"Yuki-chan, do you know that you're still in your super form?" I asked.

Yuki looked up, and sure enough, she noticed that I was still in my super form as well. "So are you, Nick-kun. What's going on here?"

"The only answer I can come up with is that whatever that strange magical power is that I'm sensing, it's somehow allowing us to maintain our super forms," I admitted. "Gargos probably thought that entering this realm and drawing on its power would give him an advantage over us, but it seems like we've got an advantage of our own now."

"So, you're saying that we can stay in our super forms as long as we're in this trippy place?" Yuki gasped. "That's so cool!"

"We'd better get moving, though," I stated. "Gargos definitely isn't going to wait for us to find him."

"Um, problem, Nick-kun? I don't see any ground in this messed-up place!" Yuki exclaimed, waving her arms like Hazuki did when she saw a ghost.

"Yuki-chan, we can fly in our super forms, remember?" I quipped.

"Oh, yeah," Yuki giggled, scratching the back of her head. "I don't trust this kaleidoscope nuthouse, that's all."

"Well, then let's get a move on," I stated.

"Roger!" Yuki shouted, throwing her hand up in a salute.

And so we flew off, hoping to find our opponent before he found us. Because I'm not really sure which one of us holds the advantage now.

Believe it or not, I'm actually itching to fight this guy now that we're officially on even ground.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for me to get my wish.

After we'd exited one of the strange tower structures trying to find Gargos, something flashed by me so fast I barely had time to register the movement before being knocked back by an insanely fast attack.

When I noticed the feathers that had been dropped around me, I spun around and caught my first glimpse of Gargos.

But once again, he was very different.

At first, I thought he'd merely regrown those damned hawk wings from the earlier fight, but this time he looked like he'd actually merged with a strange sphere-like contraption that was sprouting multiple wings.

"So, you actually followed me into the Gaia Realm?" Gargos proclaimed.

"Gaia Realm? What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Well, since you won't be leaving here alive, I guess I could tell you," Gargos proclaimed. "This is the Gaia Realm, where we have stored the collective life energy that the Delegates of Darkness have accumulated for a very specific purpose."

"Oh, wonderful, so you nutjobs have something in the wings that's even worse than my psychopathic father?!" I shouted.

"Oh, trust me, brat, when we're done, your father will be the least of your worries," Gargos continued. "But I see no reason to tell you about what we intend to do with this power, as you won't be alive to see it. Which, I guess, would be a form of mercy on our part."

"You know what?" I growled, my aura flaring. "I'm through listening to your nonsense, Gargos. You must have had your brains scrambled by the Genesis Wave, because in case you haven't noticed, we've stuffed all of your diabolical schemes! No matter what you pull out of your proverbial behind, we've shut it down every time! So stop acting like you're the supreme being in this universe when you're not!"

"Believe you me, brat, I am not being 'cocky' as you would believe I am," Gargos shot back. "This will indeed be our final showdown. Either I walk away, or you do. Not even I know, but I will not hold back."

"Then, I guess it's going to come down to who wants it more," Yuki proclaimed. "So, if you're still itching to fight, then let's do this thing already!"

"Very well, then," Gargos shouted, readying himself. "We end this now!"

**("From Whence You Came – For Dream Dance Act 2" by Falk Au Yeong plays)**

Gargos immediately went on the offensive, slashing at us with his multiple wings. I quickly drew Nenshou Hikari to block the attack, but those damn wings just kept attacking, not giving me any time to react or do anything else but defend.

Yuki looked over and saw an opportunity, flying around Gargos so he couldn't see me while on the offensive.

"Open wide, you bastard," Yuki giggled, her hand shrouded in darkness. _"Shadow Claw!"_

Yuki rushed forward, forming a claw of dark energy on her hand, and slashed at Gargos' unprotected back, causing him to bellow in rage and reorient himself to attack Yuki, giving me the opportunity to draw my own weapon.

"_Diamond Tempest!"_ I shouted, swinging Nenshou Hikari and unleashing a wave of light energy that slammed into Gargos again.

"Just gotta keep the pressure on," I quipped. Hopefully it won't be much longer before we can attempt a decisive blow.

Gargos must have noticed me thinking, because he flapped his multiple wings and unleashed a storm of razor-sharp feathers that slashed at me, and by god, those things _hurt_! Now I'm _really_ grateful for the added defenses of my super form, because if I was my normal self, that most likely would have killed me.

"What was that you said about not being cocky?" Gargos sneered.

"Don't _even_ give me that crap, Gargos," I shot back, clutching my shoulder. "You just caught me off guard. It's a common mistake."

"Well, you should realize that even such miniscule mistakes can be lethal when up against an opponent of my caliber!" Gargos proclaimed, rushing at me again, hoping to take advantage of my wounded state.

"Forget it, you jerk!" Yuki growled, hopping in front of me and holding her hands out. _"Makurayami!"_

In a move I've only seen Saiki use until now, Yuki opened her palms and launched a powerful flare of dark energy that forced Gargos back in his spot and tore at his wings.

"Guess Saiki-kun's been teaching you some moves, huh?" I laughed.

"Of course, Nick-kun! It's a really strong move, so I asked Saiki-kun to teach me how to use it!" Yuki exclaimed. "It's not as hard as it looks when you actually start using it..."

"Ugh... clever girl, using the darkness against me..." Gargos growled.

"Like I said, Gargos, darkness doesn't have to be a bad thing!" Yuki exclaimed. "I use my darkness to protect the people I care about, and to defend our world from freaks like you. You just use darkness to pillage and destroy, and it keeps enforcing that stupid stereotype that darkness is nothing but evil!"

"Then why do you consider us evil, if not merely because we wield the power of darkness?" Gargos asked.

"That's simple," I shot back. "It's because you've done things that can never be forgiven. Yet you and your kind don't seem to understand that!"

I charged forward, my weapon held proudly. "Well, then let me teach you a lesson!"

Gargos threw out one of his wings to intercept me, but I flew around it and sliced down hard with Nenshou Hikari, severing the wing as easily as I had before.

One down, seven to go, I suppose.

"My turn, onii-chan, my turn!" Yuki giggled, throwing her hands out. What had to be hundreds of black energy spheres surrounded Gargos.

Gargos gasped at this, folding his wings around himself to form a makeshift shield.

"Bad idea, buddy," Yuki quipped, winking before slamming her hands together. _"SOUL LIGHTS!"_

On Yuki's command, the energy spheres converged on Gargos all at once, easily scything through his wing barrier and causing severe damage.

"Okay, here I go," I stated, bringing Nenshou Hikari behind me and using my magical power to completely crystallize it.

"Chew on this! _DIAMOND SPARK!_" I shouted, swinging Nenshou Hikari and blasting Gargos with a wave of crystallized magical energy that took the visible form of hundreds of glowing glass shards.

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you!" Gargos shouted, trying to batter me with another storm of razor feathers, but I was ready this time, performing all kinds of neat-o aerial maneuvers to avoid the barrage.

"Says the guy who's losing to a pair of _teenagers_!" I shot back, hoping to rile up Gargos so he'll start making mistakes that we can capitalize on. Gargos may be a fierce opponent (I'll wholeheartedly admit that he's the strongest bad guy we've faced yet), but he's also got a great deal of pride. And he _definitely_ doesn't like having his pride insulted, if you remember correctly.

"I haven't lost yet, you bastards!" Gargos exclaimed, and just as I thought, got so angry that he charged right at us without even bothering to check for potholes, so to say.

I took advantage of that and slashed upwards when Gargos got close enough, sending him cartwheeling backwards and leaving a rather nasty-looking gash on his chest.

"Come on, Gargos, you can do better than that!" I taunted.

"Yeah, my obaa-chan has better aim than you!" Yuki shouted.

Gargos roared in outrage and charged at us again. He's falling right into our trap!

"_Come forth, o lightning, and receive your punishment!"_ Yuki chanted, swinging Tobiume in a circle and sending out a wide-field barrage of lightning bolts that stunned Gargos in the middle of his charge, almost causing him to fall through this strange kaleidoscopic void.

"_Mystic Arte, Radiant Moonlight!"_ Yuki chanted, dashing forward and bringing Tobiume down hard, creating a black-and-blue energy blade that slashed at Gargos for a few seconds and eventually exploded into a bright flash.

When the light cleared, I was able to catch a good look at Gargos' battered body. Most of his wings had been torn apart, and he looked like he was going to pass out at any second.

"Yuki-chan, let's finish this," I stated, making it clear what I wanted to do.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, onii-chan," Yuki replied, reaching out to take my hands as we began to concentrate, magical energy surrounding us in droves.

The magical energy surrounding us concentrated around our bodies, transforming our outfits into something that resembled the Royal Patraine outfits that Doremi and her friends had used a few years back. My forehead was now adorned with a green crown, while Yuki was now wearing a black tiara. To complete the ensemble, the remaining magical energy around us formed into a star shape on my back, and a heart shape on Yuki's back. Even better, a pair of glowing angel wings sprouted from our back.

Yuki and I clapped our hands together twice, forming glittering earrings on our ears.

"_The Super Silhouette of Love, Yuki-chi!"_ Yuki chanted.

"_The Super Silhouette of Bravery, Kelly-chi!"_ I chanted.

"Hurry, Nick-kun, let's hit him before he picks himself up!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Roger!" I replied, setting my sights squarely on Gargos.

"_Oh, pitiful shadow lost in the darkness..."_ Yuki chanted, joining hands with me.

"_Oh, evil spirit born of those drifting between heaven and earth..."_ I chanted as we raised our joined hands, magical energy spiraling out from our wrists and forming a large magical vortex in front of us.

"_May the thunderous power of these holy, delicate souls strike down upon you with great vengeance and furious anger!"_ Yuki shouted, the heart sprouting from her back beginning to shine and feed more energy into the vortex.

"_May the holy light shining from the protectors of this world shatter your loathsome impurity and return you from whence you came!"_ I shouted, the star sprouting from my back feeding more energy into the magical vortex until it was larger than both of us combined.

Yuki and I drew our free hands back, ready to unleash our ultimate combination attack.

"_Double Ojamajo Orchestral Silhouette!"_ we both shouted, thrusting our free hands into the magical vortex, which immediately erupted into a truly immense cylinder of rainbow-colored energy that thundered through the air and struck Gargos with all the force of a crashing airliner, exploding into a spectacular aurora that lit up the kaleidoscopic void around us.

I was shocked at first, because Gargos was still there when the light cleared, but I was a little relieved to see that he had at least reverted to his normal self.

"Dang it! Why is Super Silhouette not getting the job done anymore?!" Yuki growled, snapping her fingers in frustration.

"I think it did, this time," I responded. "I think we have the opening we need! Let's put an end to this right here and now!"

I immediately brandished Nenshou Hikari and took off, rushing at Gargos with all the speed of lightning.

When I got close enough, Gargos seemed to snap out of his trance and lunge at me, but I slashed upward, knocking his fist away from me, and with one decisive strike, I thrust Nenshou Hikari forward and it pierced straight through Gargos' black heart.

The way Gargos stiffened then fell limp was all the signal I needed. This fight is over.

I yanked Nenshou Hikari back, causing Gargos to cry out in pain.

"There," I proclaimed. "We're done here."

"W-w-well done," Gargos wheezed. "Worthy opponents... to the very end... but this is... not... the end... the Delegates of Darkness... will... live on..."

"Fat chance of that, Gargos," Yuki giggled. "Once we wipe out your leader, this nightmare's gonna be over. Otou-san's gonna regret ever messing with the twilight princess."

"If that's... the way... you wish..." Gargos gasped, clutching the hole in his chest. "Then, by all means... fight on..."

Gargos began to evaporate into tiny little particles of light. Yep, he's finished.

"But if you do... decide to keep fighting... I beseech you... beware of..."

Gargos' last word was one I didn't really recognize.

"...Merkabah..."

And with that, Gargos faded away into nothingness, leaving us alone in this colorful mess.

"YES!" Yuki shouted, acting like a cheerleader for a few seconds before flying over and hugging me tightly. "We did it, Nick-kun! We actually did it!"

"He sure didn't go quietly, though..." I replied, returning my little sister's hug. "So, all of their generals are finished... that just leaves 'daddy dearest'... and he's _definitely_ not going to go easy on us..."

"Oh, let's not worry about that right now, onii-chan," Yuki giggled. "We'll shred _that_ bridge when we come to it, okay?"

"Guess so. Now what do you say we get out of here? This rainbow mess is starting to hurt my eyes again."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Yuki replied, focusing for a second and using her dark power to rip open a gateway that would take us back home.

"Let's go home, onii-chan," Yuki stated, and we both glided into the portal, coming out the other side in Misora once again, though everyone who had been at the bay during Gargos' initial appearance had dispersed, thankfully.

When we were sure the coast was clear, we snapped our fingers and reverted back to our normal selves.

"Whoa! Hey, you okay?" I exclaimed as I reached out to catch Yuki, who had almost fallen unconscious right on the spot.

"Just... just tired, is all," Yuki sighed. "We used a _lot_ of magical power putting that jerk in his place..."

"Well, then let's get you home, okay?" I replied. "We'll sleep for the rest of the day if we have to..."

"That'd actually be nice at this point..." Yuki giggled. "I just wanna go home and sleep for the rest of this freakin' _weekend_..."

I couldn't help but smile at that.

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"Welcome back, guys," Momoko proclaimed once we'd returned home. "Hey, is Yuki-chan all right?"

"She's just tired," I replied. Yuki seriously looked like she'd collapse at any second. "We did a lot in sending that asshole to oblivion where he belongs."

"So, Gargos is gone?" Momoko asked.

"And all that's left is dear old dad," I stated. "Hopefully he'll leave us alone for a while after this..."

"Oh, hi, dear," Minori stated as she walked into the room. "Is Yuki okay?"

"Just exhausted," I replied hastily, hoping she wouldn't catch on to anything. "We went for a run out in the city, and it apparently took a lot out of her."

Minori smiled and nodded. "Just be careful next time, okay? I know that must be hard on you two."

As Minori walked out of the room, I couldn't help but notice the way she said that. I cast a tentative glance at Momoko, who didn't seem fazed at all.

"She knows, doesn't she?" I asked, just deciding to go with it.

"Yeah, she and dad saw you two transform and zip out onto the water," Momoko answered. "Thankfully, she seemed to take my explanations pretty well. Maybe we're not giving our parents enough credit when it comes to our secret magic lives..."

"Let's just hope it stays that way, because that'd be a lot less pain when it comes to explaining things that are usually better kept secret," I continued.

"So, now that mister freaky smile is out of the picture, what are you guys gonna do today?" Momoko wondered.

"Well, I'm gonna go see what's on the telly, and I'm sure Yuki-chan's heading right to bed after that insanity," I answered. "Seriously, we spent almost half an hour in that crazy rainbow place."

Momoko burst into giggles. "You two seriously have the weirdest adventures when you go out."

"Don't I know it," I stated.

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"My lord!" one of the technicians exclaimed, rushing up to Jeff.

"What is the reason for this unexpected encounter?" Jeff proclaimed.

"Our sources are reporting that Gargos' aura has faded completely," the technician replied.

"So, he fell to the children. I warned him about overconfidence," Jeff proclaimed.

"What shall we do, my lord?" the technician asked.

"Stay on course," Jeff proclaimed. "The plan is almost complete either way. This loss will not slow us down."

"Yes, my lord!" the technician exclaimed, running back to his post.

Jeff took his staff and walked to the back of his throne, gazing upon an image of a strange, demonic creature.

"Soon, my lord Merkabah... soon, it will be your time," Jeff stated to nobody in particular.

And sure enough, a voice answered.

"**Hopefully it **_**will**_** be soon. Those children are becoming a nuisance. You will do what needs to be done. Understood?"**

"Yes," Jeff sneered, inwardly glad he'd kept himself in control this time. He could not afford to have Merkabah's control slip again. Otherwise, his plans would be in jeopardy.

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"Nick-kun? You awake?"

I slowly opened my eyes, not fully trusting my own movements after... well, _that_.

What went wrong, you ask? Well, I just had a rather vivid nightmare of something killing my sister.

And, here comes the oddity... it wasn't my father that did it.

It was... something else.

I couldn't see what exactly it was, though... all I could see before... _that_... was a pair of demonic-looking eyes.

I wonder if it has something to do with this "Merkabah" that Gargos mentioned before we sent him six feet under...

"Hello, earth to onii-chan! Is anybody there?"

I shook myself out of my reverie just in time to notice Yuki staring intently at me.

"Jeez, Nick-kun, you scared me there! I heard you scream and I thought someone was attacking us!" Yuki exclaimed. "Are you feeling okay?"

Something about the way she was looking at me seemed to trigger a flashback of when that strange demon thing killed Yuki in my nightmare.

I fought to keep it from overwhelming me, but it was a losing battle, and I eventually snapped and threw my arms around Yuki, holding her close to me.

"N-Nick-kun, wha...?"

"Yuki-chan, can we just stay like this for a while? Please?"

Yuki smiled softly, reaching out to hug me back. "Okay. Anything for you, onii-chan."

We just stood there for god knows how long, just holding each other and allowing us to calm down.

Seriously, what was that all about?

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"Ah, it's a beautiful morning again!" Yuki exclaimed as we rushed downstairs to greet the rest of the Asuka family.

"Doesn't look like it'll be that way for much longer," I quipped. "Winter's on the way, remember?"

"Oh, foo on your season disposition!" Yuki giggled, sitting down at the kitchen table and digging into her cereal bowl. "Winter's a _lovely_ time of year!"

"But remember that _you're_ the one who likes it, considering your name," I replied, taking a bite from my muffin. "Me, I personally _despise_ winter, especially around here. Who the heck _likes_ being buried in over _two feet of snow_, for god's sake?!"

"Oh, Nick-kun, that only happened _once_!" Yuki exclaimed. "Stop being such a grump!"

"I had to walk all the way to school in that crap, you know."

"Yeah, okaa-san's car broke down. Not fun."

I just barely noticed a tear running down Yuki's face and reached out to catch it.

"Thanks, Nick-kun," Yuki stated.

"I know it's still hard on you, but we'll avenge her. That's a promise," I replied. "We just have to take care of dad and this nightmare will officially be a thing of the past."

"Is everything going okay, you two?" Momoko asked, walking into the kitchen. "You're getting into your serious talk again."

That was something Momoko liked to tease us about ever since we came to live here. Whenever she mentions the "serious talk", she's referring to when Yuki and I are discussing what we're going to do about the Delegates of Darkness.

"We were talking about that huge snowstorm from about ten years ago, and I guess I just made myself a little sad when I thought about okaa-san," Yuki admitted. "Nick-kun's been really sweet about helping me through this."

"Yeah, I thought it was bad enough when grandma died," I replied. "I don't think that sort of pain is going to go away until we finish this nonsense for good."

"You guys are definitely going to have your work cut out for you, though," Momoko stated. "Your father sounds like he's a real badass, and considering how strong Gargos and Waltz were, it really doesn't seem like it's going to be easy for you."

"Hey, we got through that no problem," Yuki responded. "We'll get through this. Otou-san had better watch himself, because we're not holding back anymore."

Momoko smiled at that. Yeah, Yuki's grown a lot more confident and independent since we routed the Genesis Wave. As I've said, I completely understand that she used to be pretty clingy to me, no doubt due to dad and his actions, but she's done a very good job in overcoming it.

"So, how's training going?" Momoko asked.

"If by 'training' you mean magic practice, then it's actually going pretty well," Yuki giggled. "Majorika-san _finally_ stopped pestering us about the dangers of teleportation magic. I wish she'd realized that we're more than capable of handling it! If we could pull off the freakin' _Sealing Symbol_, for god's sake, we can surely handle basic teleportation magic!"

"She just worries about you guys," Momoko stated. "That's just how she is."

"As for our 'other training', it's going fine as well," I explained. "Yuki-chan and I both learned some new techniques, so hopefully it'll be enough to keep dear old dad on his toes."

Yuki cast a glance up at the nearby clock and almost went into a panic attack. "Oh, jeez! Nick-kun, we need to motor! School starts in twenty minutes!"

That got me moving. How long did we spend discussing stuff?!

As we both raced back upstairs to get our stuff (thankfully it's only a ten-minute walk to school from our house), I missed Momoko's growing smile.

"I really should fix that clock..." Momoko sighed.

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_When I opened my eyes, I was back in that strange void._

_Don't tell me this same dream is going to replay in my mind until we're finished with this freak?!_

"_Nick-kun, is that you?!"_

_And sure enough, this part of the dream stayed the exact same._

_Once again, I'm forced to be able to do naught but watch as Yuki is frozen in her spot, and then run through by a blade of darkness._

_I look up from Yuki's pained expression and, just as before, I saw that demonic-looking pair of eyes._

"_Beware... the darkness..."_

_Okay, __**that**__ was new..._

"_Beware the darkness," the voice repeated. "Do not succumb to the blackness of this void..."_

"_And who are you, mister demon person, to be talking about the darkness when you're a freakin' demon __**of**__ the darkness?!" I shouted. "Quit trying to force your tired ideals on me!"_

"_When thinking of how to deal with your father, your thoughts are straying too close to the darkness," the voice continued, as if it hadn't heard a word I'd said. "You claim that they have sold their souls to the darkness, but you must ensure that you do not fall into darkness yourself by trying to take care of them."_

"_Don't you mock me!" I shouted, summoning Nenshou Hikari and charging straight at the demon-like figure, only to be ensnared from all sides by tendrils of dark energy._

"_You know not where the line between light and darkness is," the voice proclaimed. "If you do not tread this line carefully..."_

_The eyes moved until they were face-to-face with my own._

"_...you __**will**__ be lost in darkness."_

_Another blade of dark energy flew straight at me, aiming for my heart..._

...and I shot out of bed, feverishly clutching the spot on my chest where I thought I'd been impaled.

"Nick-kun?" Yuki asked. Naturally, we sleep in the same bed, so whenever I jerk out of my dreams like that, she'd notice even if she was out cold. "What happened?"

I looked over at Yuki, still a little frazzled from what I'd just experienced.

Yuki just smiled comfortingly. "You need a hug, onii-chan?"

I slowly nodded, and Yuki reached over to embrace me. "If you ever need a hug, don't hesitate to tell me, okay, Nick-kun? I know you're going through some hard stuff right now."

I just nodded, unsure if I wanted to tell Yuki about this strange nightmare. I really don't understand it myself. Why is a demon-like entity, a being born _of_ the darkness, warning me not to fall into the darkness myself?

And I still want to know if this has any connection to "Merkabah"...

Jeez, it's like whenever we solve one mystery, we just end up with about five more to solve...

"Do you... want to talk about it?" Yuki asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, if you're having strange nightmares two nights in a row, maybe it would be a good idea to get it off your chest," Yuki explained. "We might be able to deduce what it means."

"You just want an excuse to play the psychologist, don't you?" I teased.

"T-that's beside the point, Nick-kun!" Yuki stuttered. "Look, I just want to help. It makes me happy knowing that I can help my wonderful big brother with his problems."

"Well, in that case, lead on, Yuki-chan," I replied.

So Yuki sat down by me, and we talked for a long while about what I'd been seeing in my dreams. I swear, she definitely wanted to play a psychologist, as she often kept asking me questions that a psychologist would actually ask their patients.

"So, in my professional opinion," Yuki proclaimed in a psychologist voice before returning to her normal voice, "it feels like this weird-o demon thing is trying to goad you into giving in to the darkness by planting these weird ideas."

"So it's basically playing a game of inception with me?" I replied. "I thought only Saiki-kun could do that."

"Well, this is probably something we've never really encountered before, so who knows what it's capable of?" Yuki admitted. "Remember, Nick-kun, the two goons did the same thing to me just before I acquired my divine power. These freaks are probably capable of a lot of those things."

"Out of one mystery and into another," I quipped.

"We'll figure it out eventually, Nick-kun," Yuki responded. "We've just gotta play smart and not give in to this weirdo."

Let's hope so, because I'm starting to grow a little concerned...

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"Careful with that!" Majorika exclaimed as Doremi carried a box of magic beads to the back room.

"Majorika, I'm not a kid anymore!" Doremi shot back. "And besides, I'm more mature now, so I don't think you need to worry about-"

Before she could finish, Doremi tripped on a bauble and went tumbling to the ground. I made a spectacular flying dive to catch the box before it went splat on the ground.

"T-thanks, Kelly-kun..." Doremi groaned.

"See? What did I tell you?" Majorika growled.

"Um, if you look closely, Majorika, that one was your fault," I retorted, pointing straight at the bauble that Doremi had tripped on. "That's _your_ bauble thing."

A giant sweatdrop appeared on Majorika's forehead as everyone in the room stared at her.

"E-eh... hehehe..."

Just then, something whizzed by, just barely missing Majorika's right ear.

"Hey! You don't have to throw things, Doremi!" Majorika exclaimed.

Doremi looked confused. "That wasn't me."

Another strange object whizzed through a nearby wall, creating a medium-sized hole in it.

"Okay, something's not right here," Aiko quipped. "Who's throwing things through our wall?!"

Suddenly, I sensed something. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of this energy.

"Kelly-kun? Is everything all right?" Hazuki asked.

I barely had time to look up as a barrage of dark comets began to rain down onto the MAHO-dou like a torrent, causing heavy damage to the shop as they impacted.

"Hey, hey, what's the big deal?!" Onpu shouted.

As the assault continued, I managed to look into the sky, and now it was easy for me to see who was attacking us.

Not wasting a single second, I brought out my wand.

"If that's the way you want to play, dad! _Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!"_ I shouted, and the instant my wand had transformed into Nenshou Hikari, I swung hard, creating a wave of light that spread out and neutralized the dark comets that were falling on us. However, it seemed that the damage had been done; the Twin Bells was almost completely destroyed.

"Wait, is he talking about his father?" Doremi asked.

"His dad's trying to kill us?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Did he flip his lid or somethin'?!"

"Get down here and stop being a coward, _father_!" I challenged. The figure floated down from the sky, indeed revealing himself as my father.

"I see you have improved significantly since our last encounter, my boy," Jeff proclaimed, clutching his battle staff tightly.

"Yeah, well, I don't like to brag about it," I shot back. "Yuki-chan and I have been training intensely just so we'll be ready for anything that you try to pull."

"It would be a fruitless effort, you know," Jeff stated. "I am still much stronger than you."

"That old adage doesn't mean crap, _dad_," I growled. "Just because you're stronger doesn't mean you've got the upper hand. Look at what happened with Waltz when he tried to use the Genesis Wave! He rewrote _reality itself_, and we still beat him! So I wouldn't count your proverbial chickens just yet."

"Still the same as always," Jeff taunted. "You just do not seem to understand what forces you are playing with. Well, then, let me remind you!"

Jeff spun his staff around and charged away from me.

Oh, no you don't, dad. Not this time!

I spun around and cast a quick teleportation spell to vanish and reappear in front of Yuki, swinging Nenshou Hikari upwards just in time to cleave the top part of dad's razor-sharp staff clean off.

Moving in quickly, I laid into Jeff with a few quick strikes, ending in my new Hurricane Period finishing move where I hopped into the air and spun into a backwards somersault attack, my blade extended the whole time.

"Forget it, dad," I growled. "You're not touching my sister as long as I'm still breathing."

"Well, then let's remedy that, shall we?" Jeff shot back.

I quickly lashed out to counter dad's attack, and much to my surprise, Yuki joined the fray, slicing at dad's prone form with Tobiume a few times before ending off with her own combo finishing move, Ripple Drive, where she swung Tobiume straight upwards and created a spherical field of crystallized magical energy around her that exploded when it came into contact with dad, knocking him back a few feet.

"Otou-san, _snap out of it!_" Yuki shouted. "This isn't who you are! The father I know wouldn't have sold his soul to the darkness so easily!"

"Then you really don't know anything, do you, little girl?" Jeff replied. "I have grander purposes in this life, purposes that can only be fulfilled with the power of darkness. And you, my darling, are in our way."

"Well, then, if that's all you have to say..." Yuki growled, focusing her power. Her angel wings unfolded rather quickly.

"Come, o hazy moon, and send my foes to the coffin of hell!" Yuki shouted, drawing Tobiume and infusing it with her divine power as she slashed fiercely at Jeff before delivering a powerful vertical slash that sent him flying back. Yuki quickly raised her free hand and called on her magic to encase Jeff in a gigantic orb of twilight energy. With that, she aimed her glowing weapon straight for the man who calls himself our father.

"_Mystic Arte, Moonlight Javelin!"_ Yuki shouted, throwing her sparkling blade like a javelin straight into Jeff, causing the sphere to explode and knock him back against a nearby building.

"Well, well, you _have_ improved," Jeff conceded. "I can see that this will not be as easy as I thought."

"Yeah, keep on saying that," I shouted. "We're not giving up so easily!"

"So bring it on, otou-san," Yuki growled. "We're not scared of you anymore!"

Jeff stood there for a few seconds, apparently assessing the situation. He eventually smiled wickedly and let his damaged staff disappear.

"Fine. We will settle this at a more appropriate time."

"Just name it, and we'll be there," I shot back.

"We shall meet in five days at midnight, on the top of the Skywhirl Tower," Jeff proclaimed. Why is it _always_ Skywhirl?! Seriously, that thing's as much of a black cat as the Tokyo Tower!

"Be there or be square, dad," I responded. "Because we won't be holding anything back."

"I would expect nothing less from my own children," Jeff stated before vanishing in a dull flash.

We sheathed our weapons and walked back to what was left of the Twin Bells, noting the shocked expressions on our fellow witches' faces.

"Okay, pardon my bluntness here, but WHAT THE HELL WAS _THAT?!_" Aiko shouted. "Why the heck was your _father_ tryin' ta kill you?!"

I sighed heavily. This is always the hard part. "Girls, remember a few months back when I told you that the Delegates of Darkness had killed my mother?"

Silence pervaded for a few seconds.

"Well... the part that I forgot to tell you... was that the one who killed her was their leader, and their leader... is my father."

"Wait, wait, so your own _father_ is the leader of those nutjobs?" Poppu gasped. "That's nuts!"

"That's pretty much what I said, Poppu-chan," Yuki admitted. "It definitely didn't help any that the first thing he did after revealing himself was killing okaa-san..."

Yuki looked up to the midday sky, which seemed to be graying gradually, likely foreshadowing rain. "After okaa-san's funeral, Nick-kun and I made a solemn oath that we wouldn't rest until otou-san pays for what he's done. At first I had hoped we would be able to purify him, but as we've seen, Nick-kun believes that he's fallen too far into the darkness to be saved."

"After watching _that_ spectacle, I'd believe him," Fami quipped. "He seriously looked like he was out for blood!"

"Guess we've got some more time to get some training in now," I stated. "Let's just hope it'll be enough..."

My thoughts were derailed by a loud explosion from far off.

"Okay, what the heck was _that_?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Are those stupid city workers messin' with the dynamite again?!"

I was about to question that myself when I somehow started feeling scared; an ominous feeling had washed over my mind the instant I heard that explosion.

If that had come from where I think it did...

"Yuki-chan!" I shouted.

"I know, Nick-kun, I felt it, too! Let's motor!" Yuki shouted, and the two of us rushed away from the remains of the Twin Bells, with Momoko following closely behind. I'm sure she felt the same thing I did.

I really hope that something didn't go wrong...

Unfortunately, the instant we got back to the house, my suspicions were confirmed. The Asuka household was on fire and had been nearly annihilated, almost exactly like the Twin Bells.

"Oh, jeez!" Yuki exclaimed, instantly bringing out Tobiume to slash through chunks of burning wood and hopefully find Minori and Kenzou before it was too late.

Damn it, I really should have seen this coming...

"Nick-kun, I found them!" Yuki exclaimed, and both Momoko and I raced over to her and saw Minori and Kenzou, who both looked pretty badly injured, no doubt due to the force of whatever had struck the house and pretty much obliterated it.

"They're unconscious, but I don't think the injuries are going to be fatal," Yuki proclaimed after checking both of their pulses. "I still say we get them to the hospital and fast!"

Yuki let Tobiume vanish so she could pick up Minori, and I managed to pick Kenzou up just as the ambulances and fire trucks arrived on the scene. You'd have to be an idiot to not hear an explosion like that.

"Any injured?" one of the ambulance drivers asked.

"Just them," Yuki replied, gesturing at Momoko's unconscious parents. "We need a ride to Misora General Hospital ASAP!"

Within minutes, the firemen had the blaze contained and we were barreling down the streets towards the hospital.

"How are they, doctor?" Momoko asked, in tears.

"The injuries are bad," the doctor watching over Minori and Kenzou responded. "But they don't appear to be life-threatening. You two were lucky to get back there when you did."

"When we found out, we hauled butt to get back home," Yuki explained.

"Are they your parents, too?" the doctor asked.

"Sort of," Yuki answered. "My brother and I just live with them. Our parents were killed recently, and Nick-kun's in a relationship with Momo-chan, so they talked it over and now we're living with them. Oh, doctor, please don't let them die..."

"We'll do everything we can, Shinoya-san," the doctor replied. "I promise we'll do all we can for them."

I didn't say a word as they talked. I just stared at Minori and Kenzou's injured forms. I clenched my fist tightly when I thought of what had actually happened.

_You're going to pay __**dearly**__ for this, dad..._ I thought. _I swear it._

_Sometime later..._

This is one of the many, _many_ reasons I don't generally like hospitals.

The grueling, agonizing _waiting_.

Momoko's parents were still in surgery, and it had been almost an hour since they were wheeled in there. It just hurts every time I see Momoko fidgeting like that, like she's scared of possibly losing her parents.

I'd probably be the same way if our roles were switched.

I've already lost a member of my family. I really hope Momoko doesn't lose all of hers...

"I-it's been almost an hour..." Momoko gasped, a few tears still falling. "I hope they'll be okay..."

"Hey, your parents are tough, Momoko, just like you," I responded, reaching out to hug my girlfriend. "They'll pull through."

"And here I thought otou-san couldn't sink any lower," Yuki growled. "Trust me, Momo-chan, he's going to pay _dearly_ for what he did."

"You took the freakin' words right out of my mouth, Yuki-chan," I replied.

After about five more minutes, a doctor walked out of the surgery room. Momoko immediately sprung to her feet.

"Doctor, please, are my parents going to be okay?" Momoko cried.

"Asuka-san, your parents were just taken out of surgery, and though their injuries were severe, we give them a very good chance of surviving this," the doctor replied. "You have some tough parents, dear, so I wouldn't worry too much. They're in good hands."

Momoko smiled in relief, though I could tell she wasn't convinced. And I knew exactly the reason why.

"Guys, I'm worried," Momoko admitted as she walked back to us. "I know we can trust the doctors, but what if the Delegates of Darkness strike again when there's nothing I can do to defend mom and dad?"

Surprising my sister, I smiled widely.

"Oh, I've got an idea on how to get rid of that problem."

_That night..._

**("Freefall... for Technology Tree Act 3" by Funk Fiction plays)**

"Okay, anyone want to explain why we're meeting up at this place at freakin' _midnight_?!" Aiko exclaimed as we all huddled in the ruins of the Twin Bells MAHO-dou later that night. It was still raining, giving the blackness of night a bit of a grungy violet hue. "Poppa's gonna give it to me if he finds out I'm out of my bed past my curfew!"

"Yeah, Kelly-kun, why are we all here?" Doremi asked. "Is it that serious?"

"'Serious' is only putting it mildly, Doremi-chan," I answered. "Now I know you all would rather be sleeping right now, but I called you all here because... Yuki-chan and I need your help."

"All of us?" Hazuki wondered. "Is it that bad that you need all of us?"

"Understatement of the century, Hazuki-chan," Yuki responded, twirling Tobiume in her hands. "I'm pretty sure you know that the Delegates of Darkness, more specifically daddy dearest, attacked our house after we fought him earlier, and he almost killed Momo-chan's parents in doing so. Well, Momo-chan's concerned that even with the doctors and everyone in plain sight, they might not stand a chance if those jerks attack again. So, Nick-kun and I talked it over for a long time, and we finally decided..."

Yuki looked up at the dark sky, the rain streaking across her face. "...that we need to go and eliminate this problem at its source."

Everyone gasped loudly at that, though I wasn't surprised. I'm a little wary of this myself, but it's a chance we need to take.

"Are you planning what I think you guys are?" Onpu wondered.

"You're planning to go to their headquarters?" Akemi gasped.

"Kelly-kun, you can't just go charging into their place all by yourselves!" Aiko exclaimed. "That's borderline suicidal!"

"Don't you think I know that, Ai-chan?!" I shouted. "But I don't think there's any other choice left! We're out of options here, and if we just sit on our laurels while waiting for a chance to stick it to them, we could end up with a disaster on our hands, or worse yet, another tragedy!"

I swung Nenshou Hikari so hard that it caused another wooden plank nearby to break in half and fall to the rain-soaked ground.

"I've already lost someone precious to me because of those assholes," I growled. "I don't want to add two more casualties to that list. So I say we find their squatting grounds and wipe those bastards out."

"Okay, so then why do you need _our_ help?" Aiko asked. "Shouldn't you be insanely strong with all the trainin' you've been doin'?"

"That's the thing, Ai-chan," Yuki answered. "We don't know what we'll be expecting when we get to their HQ, so we figured we'd call on you guys for support. The added backup should outweigh the chance of a potential disaster."

"We'd really appreciate it if you could help us with this, everybody," Momoko sighed.

"Like we'd say no?" Aiko quipped. "Look, Kelly-kun, I'm convinced that just charging head-on into a place like that is _beyond_ suicidal, but I wouldn't just let you two go it alone. Remember, we're friends, and friends look out for each other!"

"Yeah. There's no way we're letting you do this on your own," Poppu proclaimed. "This is something we can only do together!"

"We'd honestly jump at the chance to wipe those ninnies out for what they've done!" Moriko exclaimed. "I'm already getting the itch to punch their lights out..."

"That's why we want all of you to come along," Yuki responded. "We can all watch each other's backs and have a better chance of actually accomplishing something in there."

"So, mon ami, what are we waiting for?" Kurumi giggled. "Let's go out there and kick some faces in!"

"There's still one problem," Fami interrupted. "We don't actually know where the hideout is..."

"Oh, I think we've got a general idea," I replied.

"Between the accident and now, Nick-kun and I did some scouting, and we've discovered a gigantic cluster of dark magic concentrated in a certain part of the city," Yuki stated. "It'd probably be the best place to start our investigation."

"So, where is that cluster of darkness?" Nanoka asked.

"It's right outside the city, on a strange island that's apparently not on any maps," Yuki answered. "Nick-kun and I discovered that only someone with even just a trace of magical ability can see the place."

"Ooh, freaky," Haruka gasped. "And I thought that Storm Station thing was bad enough."

"So, you think this island is the best place to start looking for those nutjobs?" Aiko asked.

"It's really the only lead we've got," I responded. "We should probably transform and head out. The longer we wait here, the more chance dad could have to do something even more despicable."

"Wow, Kelly-kun, I know I've said this a lot lately, but I've never seen you like this before," Hazuki stated.

"Dad's officially crossed the line with this little stunt, so I say we go and kick him where it hurts," I proclaimed.

We all brought out our Spiritual Phones, ready to put an age of evil to its end.

"_Spiritualize! Ojamajo Divertimento, Start!"_ we all exclaimed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"What do you have to report?" Jeff asked the technician who had walked into his throne room.

"My lord, the experiments are proceeding ahead of schedule," the technician replied. "We are officially ready to start the cloning process."

"Excellent," Jeff replied. "And what of the test subjects?"

"Um... there seems to be a slight problem," the technician nervously answered. "Many of the subjects do not seem to be accepting the new genetic material. Most of them have died almost instantly after the transfusion of the new DNA."

"It is a force of chaos," Jeff sated. "Humans are beings of order. It is tricky to force the two to intermingle without disastrous results."

"S-should we hold off the transfusions for now, then?" the technician asked.

"Proceed as we have," Jeff proclaimed. "I will oversee any transfusions from this moment on, and I shall intervene if we encounter any dangerous situations. You are dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" the technician exclaimed before dashing out of the room.

Jeff turned around, staring at the strange mural inscribed on his throne.

"**Do you really believe this is a good idea? You do know that it has never been recorded that demons can successfully inhabit human bodies."**

"You require a vessel, my liege," Jeff replied to the disembodied voice. "And I do not know how much longer you will be able to inhabit this body."

"**Be grateful that your inner darkness is keeping my own spirit stable. I will still need a body to inhabit in case events to not proceed according to plan."**

"I will find a way, my liege. You will roam this world again soon enough."

"**For your own sake, you had better be sure of yourself."**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Once we'd all transformed, we set out through the rainy night, on our way to the island where the Delegates of Darkness were supposedly holed up.

I'll admit, the current weather conditions seemed fitting for the situation at hand. It was dark, rainy, late at night, and depressing, but we were going to cut through all of that and get ourselves some richly deserved revenge.

"I seriously hope I don't catch a cold from this," Aiko groaned as the rain continued to fall as steadily as it had been all night long.

"Um, Ai-chan? Our witch outfits are weatherproof," Yuki replied. "Remember, I went into the freakin' _atmosphere_ to shut down the Storm Station."

"Ehehe... good point," Aiko laughed.

"I'm still a little confused about something... why, exactly, are we out _this _late at night just to wipe out those goons?" Poppu wondered.

"It'll be easier for us to get to where we need to go," I explained. "I'm pretty sure we can't just teleport in there, or things could go sour really fast. So, I figured the direct approach would be a little safer."

"And since most of the people who live around here are already fast asleep, it'll be easier for us to stalk the streets without running risk of being discovered," Momoko continued. "Nick and I both agreed that we need to play sneaky here, otherwise we could end up in trouble."

"And god forbid those assholes get their hands on any of you..." I growled, only to calm down when Momoko patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Nick. We're gonna be all right as long as we stick together," Momoko quipped. "So let's draw strength from each other and put these clowns down for good, okay?"

I nodded, happy to see that Momoko was feeling slightly better after what had happened. Guess she feels a little enlightened that we're going to shut these freaks down.

So, we all walked as a tightly-knit group through the rainy midnight streets of Misora, hoping to find our quarry.

As we entered the downtown area, the rain seemed to pick up in intensity (amid Aiko's groans of catching a cold until we again reminded her of our weatherproof witch outfits; she's probably just trying to lighten the mood) as if foreshadowing how close we were to our objective.

After about twenty minutes of searching, we came to the city borders, and sure enough, the first thing that caught my attention was the odd-looking island a few miles offshore.

"Is that the place?" Doremi asked.

"That's gotta be it," Yuki responded. "There's darkness flowing like droves from that island."

"All right, who's ready to kick some faces in?!" Aiko exclaimed.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Yuki proclaimed. "Let's put an end to these guys once and for all."

Yuki brought out her Koseki Poron and aimed it towards the island. _"Pururunu pikapikan chanchii! Let's create a bridge to the island!"_

Responding to Yuki's command, a bright rainbow-colored bridge extended from our vantage point to the island.

"Let's end this, everybody," Yuki stated.

We all crossed the bridge to the island, at which point Yuki again used her wand to dispel an invisible barrier of darkness that was surrounding the compound.

"After you, onii-chan," Yuki giggled.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jeff stood up from his throne as one of his subjects entered the throne room.

"What news do you bring?" Jeff proclaimed.

"My lord, we have intruders!" the subject exclaimed. "They just entered the complex! Should we go on full alert?"

"There is no need," Jeff answered, waving his palm. "I will go and personally take care of this nuisance. I believe I know who is leading the intruders."

"You do, my lord?"

Jeff picked up his new battle staff, which was now glowing with the power of darkness.

"I did not expect him to find my lair so easily, but this is as far as his luck goes. I will make him see that his pathetic little crusade is a worthless endeavor."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Does anyone feel like we're not getting anywhere?" Aiko wondered as we continued to explore the innards of the complex, which appeared to be similar to a sewer system in how everything appeared dank and soaked, most likely due to the island being out over the ocean.

"Well, we've never been here before, and we've still got a lot of ground to cover, so that would probably be what it feels like," Momoko admitted.

"At least they don't have those creepy glass doors that let you see through them," Poppu groaned, still a little unnerved by what she'd seen earlier. After what we'd found in that particular place, I can't blame her in the slightest. Man, those experiments are just _sick..._

"Why would they perform those kinds of experiments?" Doremi asked, holding Poppu's hand as we continued on our way. "That just seems so wrong, even for psychopaths like them..."

"Probably for a number of reasons, Doremi-chan," Yuki answered. "They're probably working on a bunch of contingency plans for if and when things go awry. That's most likely what I'd do, given the situation."

"Ooh, I wanted to destroy that place and put them out of their misery!" Moriko growled. "Why didn't you let me, Nick-kun?!"

"Because I don't want to be discovered yet," I replied. "What we need to do is find a weak point in this place, something we can knock down that'll send this whole island to the bottom of the ocean."

"Would we maybe try looking for the central core or something?" Hazuki wondered. "Considering how big this facility is, they must be drawing all of their power from a central area..."

"...and if we disrupt that thing, the whole island goes kablooey!" Yuki exclaimed. "Smart thinking as always, Hazuki-chan!"

As the group continued to converse, I kept my senses open to make sure we weren't in any danger.

Just then, I felt a twinge.

"Girls, stay on guard," I proclaimed, taking out my Koseki Poron and quickly transforming it into Nenshou Hikari. "We've got company."

Sure enough, a bunch of people surrounded us, all wearing cloaks with the Delegates of Darkness insignia on them. No doubt the mooks that came to prevent us from reaching our goal.

"Okay, so to what do we owe _this_ unpleasant visit?" I challenged.

"Exactly what it looks like," the mooks' leader responded. "Our lord ordered us to stop you from going any further."

One of them pulled out a rather large broadsword and charged at me.

"You stay away from my onii-chan, jerk face!" Yuki shouted, summoning Tobiume and slashing so hard that she appeared to cut the guy clean in half.

The strange thing, though?

I expected the guy to start bleeding buckets, but instead, both halves of him seemingly popped out of existence, leaving only a dark mist in his place.

"Wait, these generic foot soldiers are nothing but darkness? They're not even _human?!_" Onpu exclaimed.

"Then that means we don't have to hold back," I realized. "Girls, let's take 'em out!"

Yuki definitely didn't need to be told twice, as she immediately unleashed a Radiant Moonlight that took a good few of them out.

"You're mine, boy!" one of the mooks growled, aiming a scimitar right for my head.

Hazuki was the one to defend me this time, reaching out block the strike with her Koseki Poron, then slashing it across the guy's chest, causing him to evaporate as well.

"Nice one, Hazuki-chan!" I exclaimed. Hazuki looked back at me and smiled.

"I guess those martial arts lessons you gave me finally paid off, huh?" Hazuki giggled.

"Okay, that's all of them!" Yuki exclaimed, swinging Tobiume around victoriously. All of the mooks had disappeared while we hadn't been looking.

"What?" Yuki gasped when she saw all of us staring at her. "They're just mooks!"

"Right you are, black witch. And the generic foot soldiers would have no chance against your skills, anyway."

I spun back around, and just as expected, dad was standing only a few feet ahead of us.

"Stand back, girls," I stated, readying my weapon. "This one's mine."

"I'm ready, too, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing to my side and brandishing Tobiume.

"Still fighting for the weak link, I see," Jeff proclaimed. "When will you two learn that you do not have any hope of defeating me?"

"Probably never, because we've still got a score to settle with you," I shot right back. "What say we end this?"

Jeff crossed his arms over his chest, and he began to glow with dark power. Not good. "Well, if you wish to die here, then fine. Now you will taste my power!"

A powerful dark aura exploded from Jeff's body at this. "Merkabah, grant me strength!"

Jeff floated a few feet into the air, and the darkness surrounding him solidified into the form of a disfigured-looking creature that floated behind him.

"Merkabah?" Yuki quipped. "Gargos mentioned that name before we sent him to hell..."

"Ever the curious one," Jeff stated. "Merkabah is the god we worship, an ancient demon of incredible supernatural power. No doubt you have seen the experiments we have been performing. For many years, we have been trying to find ways to resurrect the great Merkabah, with varying degrees of success. You see, Merkabah currently cannot sustain its physical form without a suitable vessel to inhabit."

"So... you're saying that you let Merkabah into your soul, and _that's_ why you turned into such an asshole?!" I shouted, the pieces finally falling into place. "But why, dad? Why would you sell your soul to a demon just to fulfill your sick ambitions?!"

"If you're trying to get through to me, it's no use, boy," Jeff taunted. "He has been made into nothing by the great demon that sleeps within my soul. Face the facts. The father you once knew is lost forever. All that remains is the future ruler of this world, and the demon that will join him in remaking this world."

"Nick-kun, is everything okay?" Doremi asked, noticing that I was visibly shaking with rage.

"If you're going to fight me, I would start now," Jeff retorted. "Before another 'accident' happens to that girl's parents."

Momoko's eyes shot wide open at that statement. "W-what?"

"Oh, did you really think they would be safe?" Jeff stated. "I would wager they're dead already."

"You're lying!" I shouted, swinging my weapon angrily.

"If I _were_, you would easily be able to see it," Jeff noted.

Momoko fell to her knees, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "No... m-mom... dad..."

I turned back around, my gaze locked squarely on the man who was once my father.

**("Never Turn Back" by Crush 40 plays)**

"All right, that's IT!" I screamed, throwing my arms outwards and shifting into my super form. "I've about had it with your nonsense, dad! You wanna be despicable and atrocious, then fine! As far as I'm concerned, you're not my father anymore! We sever these broken chains right here and now!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, shifting into her own super form as well. "In the honor of everyone that's been lost due to your sick ambitions, otou-san, you are not going to be leaving this place alive!"

Jeff flexed his arms, and the Guardian behind him did the same.

"If you insist," Jeff proclaimed. "It's your funeral, then."

"Girls, I want you to get out of here," I stated. "Yuki-chan and I will handle daddy dearest."

"What should we do, then?" Doremi asked.

"Find the central power core and destroy it," Yuki responded. "Wipe that thing out, and it'll sink this whole island and everyone on it. Once you destroy it, teleport out _immediately_, understand?"

"Roger!" Aiko exclaimed. "We'll leave the rest to you, twilight princess."

With that, the rest of the group split off to accomplish their task while we confronted our father. Oddly enough, Momoko stayed behind.

"I'm fighting, too," Momoko growled, taking a battle stance. "I'm not letting him get away with what he's done."

"Isn't this precious?" Jeff taunted. "Sending your friends away to their deaths?"

"They can handle themselves," Yuki shot back. "Let's just get this over with, otou-san, because it won't be long before the girls destroy this place's core and send everything you've worked for to the bottom of the seafloor!"

"Very well, then, we end this right here and now!" Jeff exclaimed, darkness flaring up around him. "Let me show you what it means to challenge the power of a god!"

Looks like this is it. The final battle.

Believe it or not, I'm ready for this after all.

"So, it all comes down to this," Jeff proclaimed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, dad," I growled, ready as I ever was to put an end to all of this nonsense. "On my mom's honor, I swear I will _take you down._"

"I still held out some hope that you could be saved from the darkness, otou-san, but I guess there's no more convincing you!" Yuki shouted. "This is in memory of everyone who's been lost because of you!"

"I used to think you were a wonderful person," Momoko proclaimed. "You accepted my relationship with Nick without even batting an eyebrow. Comparing who you were then to who you are now just _sickens_ me!"

"Still so blind," Jeff stated, his Guardian poised and ready to move. "Then I will make you see. You will see the foolishness of defying the future god of this world!"

Not in the mood to listen to anymore of his nonsense, I brandished Nenshou Hikari and charged forward, leaping into the air and attacking with a swift Hurricane Period to put some distance between us.

Before I could attack again, however, the Guardian lashed out with a wicked right hook that I barely blocked in time.

"Okay, so that thing's gonna complicate this fight," I noted. "How can we get around that?"

"Let me try, onii-chan!" Yuki exclaimed as she rushed forward, her weapon ready.

"Come, Guardian!" Jeff shouted, and his Guardian put itself in front of him to block Yuki's attack.

"Nuts... well, then, have some of THIS!" Yuki growled, swinging Tobiume straight upwards and unleashing a rather spectacular Ripple Drive, the glass-like sphere of energy piercing through the Guardian and sending Jeff reeling.

"Hey, so that thing doesn't like magic attacks..." I realized. From what I noticed, when it's defending, the Guardian can only repel physical attacks. I wonder if we can use that to our advantage...

"Listen to the little kids making small talk," Jeff taunted, shaking off the damage done by Yuki's Ripple Drive. "You always were impatient and impulsive children."

"Yeah, I'll admit that," I stated. "But I'm proud of that fact, because it's kept us alive all this time. That's something you'd never understand, father!"

Nenshou Hikari began glowing as I readied my next attack.

"Protect me, Guardian!" Jeff called, his Guardian again reappearing in front of him.

"Diamond Tempest!" I shouted, swinging Nenshou Hikari and unleashing a wave of crystallized light energy that again broke through the Guardian's defenses and caused Jeff to push back against the ground to keep from getting thrown back.

"Looks like your guardian thing is flawed, dad," I quipped, trying my best to stay on my toes. I know that if we slip up even once, we're finished.

"Don't become overconfident, or you'll just become more bodies for the slaughter," Jeff cackled, charging right at us.

"_Sonic Burst!"_ Momoko shouted, her hand glowing a bright silver as she ripped forwards with a lightning-fast palm strike that struck Jeff in the chest and immediately stunned him, causing his Guardian to disappear.

"Hurry, Nick! Let's hit him before he recovers!" Momoko exclaimed, hastily taking my hands.

"_Spirits of the earth..."_ Momoko chanted, sparkles swirling around her hand.

"_Spirits of the stars..."_ I chanted, electricity gathering around my hand.

Momoko and I tossed their free hands to the side, and our collected energy separated and began to swirl around both of us.

"_Lend us your wills and give us the power to grant a miracle!"_ Momoko and I shouted as the energy surrounding us began to grow fierce. We drew our hands back, not wasting a second.

"_Our beautiful souls..."_ Momoko chanted, yellow electricity bursting from her free hand.

"_...shall crush your dark heart!"_ I chanted, green electricity bursting from my free hand.

"_Double Ojamajo Sparkle Screw!"_ Momoko and I shouted, slamming our joined hands through the energy field surrounding us. This motion caused two gigantic beams of green and yellow energy to erupt from our hands that eventually joined together into one spiraling silver burst of magical power that slammed head-on into Jeff and causing quite a bit of damage.

"You think you've won?" Jeff growled. "Do you honestly think you've accomplished anything?!"

"We're kicking your behind, so I guess that counts as an accomplishment," Yuki giggled.

"Don't you _dare_ mock me!" Jeff exclaimed, thrusting his hands forward. The Guardian reacted to this motion and extended its hands like rubber bands to snatch Yuki away from me.

"Let her go, dad!" I shouted.

"Or what?" Jeff shot back, the Guardian holding its clawed fingers dangerously close to Yuki's neck. "One wrong move and I cut her pretty little throat. Do you think you can strike before I can kill her?"

I just stood there, with no idea of what to do.

Thankfully, Momoko seemed to answer that for me, stealthily slipping behind Jeff and slashing at his back, forcing the Guardian to slip and let go of Yuki.

"Nice one, Momoko!" I shouted.

"Just doing what I can," Momoko stated.

"You brats are really beginning to vex me," Jeff growled, the Guardian rearing its arms back. "Why not just go quietly to your deaths?!"

The Guardian started swinging its arms wildly, sending a bunch of razor-sharp energy discs at us.

Yuki leapt in front of me and spread her arms out. _"Santen kesshun, I reject!"_

A wide diamond shield appeared in front of us, easily blocking the attack. Wow, I didn't think she'd ever use _that_ move again.

"I've still got it," Yuki giggled.

"Wow, Yuki-chan, I haven't seen you use that since we dealt with Songbird," Momoko noted.

"I apparently didn't give you enough credit," Jeff growled. "But let us see how long these tricks of yours will last for you!"

Jeff rushed at us, but Yuki quickly countered with another Ripple Drive. "Come on, otou-san, stop using the same old tricks!"

"Very well, then. How's _this_ for something new?!" Jeff shouted, crossing his arms in front of him and charging forwards at insane speeds, giving us no time to counter or dodge.

"Okay, that was a little different," Yuki quipped. "But just stop dashing at us! It's so cliché!"

"You've got quite the mouth on you, girl," Jeff stated, flicking his hand out and forming a dark energy blade on his arm, something I thought was one of Yuki's trademarks. "Let's see how long you'll be babbling after I cut it off of your face!"

Jeff swung hard at Yuki, but I countered with my Slapshot technique, a quick rising slash attack so fast that it seemed to happen almost instantly.

"Why do you continue to resist?" Jeff growled. "You are only delaying the inevitable."

"Just give it a rest!" I shot back. "I'm sick of listening to your nonsense!"

I dashed forward to meet blades with Jeff, and performing a Slapshot to catch him off guard.

"_O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." _I chanted as I slashed at Jeff with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.

"_...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"_ I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at Jeff on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.

"_Mystic Arte! Savage Wolf Fury!"_ I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Jeff's head.

"I believe I'm done messing around with the likes of you," Jeff proclaimed, the dark aura surrounding him beginning to increase in intensity. "Now you will know oblivion!"

The Guardian began to change shape, turning into something I didn't even recognize. I readied myself for whatever he was going to pull.

Just then, explosions began to occur all around us, shaking the entire area and causing random structures to fall apart.

"W-what is happening?!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Looks like my friends did their job," Yuki giggled. "This place is going down!"

"I didn't expect them to actually succeed..." Jeff admitted.

"And there's your problem, dad," I shot back. "You don't plan for a possible problem because you believe you're _above_ such problems."

"So, what are you gonna do?" Momoko challenged. "You can either get out of here with your hide intact, or keep fighting us and get destroyed along with your organization. What's it gonna be, asshole?!"

After a few seconds, Jeff relaxed his body, and the Guardian disappeared.

"Consider yourselves lucky," Jeff growled. "You will survive for a few days longer. Do not think that I am finished with you yet."

Before I could react to that, Jeff waved his hand and disappeared.

"At least he's a bit smarter than I thought," I stated.

"On to more pressing matters, this place is ker-ploding!" Yuki exclaimed. "We need to get out of here right stat _now_!"

"Way ahead of you, princess!" Doremi exclaimed as the rest of our group came running. "Where's your father?"

"Sent that son of a bitch running," Momoko quipped. "But let's talk about that later, when we're not being blown into hundreds of little chunklets!"

We all raised our wands in unison, the jewels on the tips glowing with a bright light. As the explosions began to increase in frequency, we chanted our teleportation spell, wrapping the entire group in a sheet of white light that instantly warped us out of the doomed complex.

When we reappeared back in Misora (and exactly where we'd made our way to the island. Irony, huh?) we watched as the island exploded rather violently, leaving only a shattered husk that began sinking into the depths of the ocean.

"Well? Did we do good?" Aiko asked.

"We did good, girls," I quipped. "The Delegates of Darkness are finished. All we have to do now is take care of dad and this nightmare's over."

"Um... we may have a problem," Onpu stated. "The Twin Bells was destroyed along with Momo-chan's house..."

"We can fix that, remember?" Yuki proclaimed. "That's what Magical Stage is for! We remodeled the place before, and we can do it again, right?"

After all agreeing on that sentiment, we set off for what was left of the Twin Bells. If I'd stopped to look around, I would have noticed something strange around a nearby corner.

"So. He is the host. This will be fun."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

One Magical Stage later (well, technically two), we had fully refurbished the Twin Bells MAHO-dou alongside our home. I would have felt a sense of triumph at this, but there's still one more problem to deal with.

Now that dad knows how strong we've gotten since the last time we fought him, he's not going to be holding anything back when it comes to round two.

I'm ready, though. He knows what I'm capable of doing against someone who's sold their soul to the darkness.

I'll show him _exactly_ what I'm capable of.

Suddenly, Momoko's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the tiny screen and saw that the call was coming from the hospital.

"No doubt they have something bad to tell me..." Momoko sighed. Steeling herself for the worst, she answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Asuka-san, this is the hospital. We just wanted to inform you that your parents are recovering quite well from their injuries, and should only be here for a couple of weeks at the most."_

"Really?!" Momoko exclaimed, her expression suddenly brighter. "Thanks, doctor. I really appreciate that."

Hanging up, Momoko turned back to us, a bright and sunny smile on her face. "Guys, the doctor just said my parents are going to make it!"

"Then that bastard _was_ lyin' to us!" Aiko exclaimed.

"What, you expected him _not_ to?" Yuki replied. "People like him can be very tricky..."

"So, then I guess everything's back to normal, right?" Poppu asked.

"Well, almost," I quipped, catching everyone's attention. "Dad's still lurking out there. We've only got three more days until we have to go to the Skywhirl Tower for the last battle."

"Is there anything we can do?" Doremi asked. "We want to help you guys out, remember? That's what friends do."

"I appreciate it, girls, but dad's not gonna be holding anything back this time," I responded. "And I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you."

"Hey, we understand, Kelly-kun," Aiko giggled. "Just 'cause we're stubborn doesn't mean we don't understand when things tend to get personal."

"Oh, it's _very_ personal, Ai-chan," Yuki answered.

"You two just be careful, okay?" Hazuki asked.

"Hey, Hazuki-chan, you're not wearing your glasses," Yuki quipped. "Why did I not notice that before?!"

"Yeah, I'm actually trying out contacts," Hazuki explained. "It took a little bit to get used to them, but I think I actually prefer the contacts now."

"You look so _cute_!" Yuki giggled, causing Hazuki to blush.

As the girls continued to make small talk, I looked out the window, towards the approaching evening sky. I still have no idea how this next battle's going to play out.

But whatever happens, I'm going to give it my all. I won't let dad get away with what he's done.

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_Three days later..._

"Ugh... damn it..."

"Can't sleep, onii-chan?"

I looked at the clock by our bedside. It read _11:57 PM._ Wonderful. I should have realized that I wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep knowing what's about to happen.

"Isn't it obvious, Yuki-chan?" I replied, to which Yuki laid a rather comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Nick-kun, I know you're anxious about what's coming, but you should at least try to get some rest. You wouldn't want sleepiness to mess you up, would you?" Yuki wondered.

"Yuki-chan, after everything we've possibly been through, I don't think my sleeping schedule is ever going to be normal again," I admitted.

Just then, I noticed a gleam from somewhere. Trying to make sure that it was what I thought it was, I scrambled over to the window and looked outside. Just as I suspected, that flash had come from the Skywhirl Tower.

I think I know who's sending us a message.

"Nick-kun?" Yuki asked.

I hopped off of our bed and stood up, my fists clenched tightly.

"It's time."

Yuki seemed to almost immediately respond, jumping up and reaching for her Spiritual Phone on the dresser.

"I'm ready, Nick-kun. Let's go finish this."

"Yuki-chan, before we go..."

"Yes?"

I stepped forward and hugged my little sister tightly. "I don't know what's going to happen, Yuki-chan. I'm not even sure if we'll walk out of this alive. That's how much I'm worried. But just remember that no matter what happens, I love you and I always will."

Yuki smiled brightly, reaching out to return my hug. "Aww... I love you, too, Nick-kun. I know I've said it many times, but you're the best big brother I ever could have asked for. And it really makes me feel safe knowing that you'll always be there to protect me no matter what happens."

Yuki stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the forehead. "I'm ready whenever you are, onii-chan."

With that said, Yuki and I procured our Spiritual Phones and headed out. On the way downstairs, we were stopped by Momoko, who looked pretty sleepy.

"Hey, guys..." Momoko yawned. "You're up already? What's the occasion?"

"It's time, Momoko," I proclaimed. "Yuki-chan and I are going to bite the hand that feeds us one more time."

This seemed to snap Momoko out of her sleepy state. "Just a second, guys, there's something I wanted to give you," Momoko quipped, racing back upstairs. There was no need for subtlety, as Yuki, Momoko, and I were the only ones in the house what with Minori and Kenzou still recovering at the hospital.

When Momoko came back downstairs, she was holding seven spherical gemstones in her open palms, each one sporting a different color: ruby, sapphire, gold, emerald, silver, aquamarine, and amethyst.

"What's this, sweetie?" I asked.

"They look like little ball-shaped Chaos Emeralds..." Yuki quipped.

"Not quite, but the principle's the same," Momoko answered. "The queen visited me a day ago and gave these to me. They're called the Majokai Crystals, and they each hold an insane amount of magical power within them. The queen figured out that we were going up against an ancient demon, so she told me to give these to you in case an emergency happened."

"So, what do they do?" Yuki wondered.

"Any one of them can considerably augment your magical powers," Momoko explained. "However, the queen specifically told me to tell you to save them until you really need them. No one's ever used these things for thousands of years, so we wouldn't want them to overwhelm you, right?"

"So, basically, these little gem things are going to be our insurance policy, correct?" Yuki quipped.

"Yep," Momoko stated. "I mean, come on, you two are fighting a family member who's been possessed by a _demon_, for criminy's sake."

"I'll keep that in mind," I teased, knowing Momoko was trying to brighten our moods despite the seriousness of this final battle.

"You guys kick butt out there, okay?" Momoko giggled. "And sock him one for me, all right?"

"Acknowledged, Momo-chan!" Yuki responded as she and I dashed out the front door, ready to face our final showdown.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There it was.

The Skywhirl Tower in all of its majesty.

This would be the arena for our final battle with the man who's made our lives hell for so long.

Our last stand against our own father, who had been consumed by the darkness of the demon he sold his soul to.

I'll admit, I'm a little scared.

Knowing what dad can do when drawing on the power of a demon, I literally have no idea how this showdown's going to play out.

But whatever happens, I'll stay strong and fight with all of my strength.

It's what mom would have wanted.

"Anytime you're ready, sis," I quipped.

I took a few moments to ready myself.

This is it.

Our final battle.

And only one side would be leaving this tower alive.

"All right, Nick-kun, let's end this," Yuki stated.

And with that, we stepped inside the front door of the tower, ready to face our destiny.

Yuki and I held hands the entire way up, knowing that even the slightest slip-up would separate us forever.

But no way in hell was I letting _that_ happen.

When that elevator door opened, and I saw my father standing there as if he'd been waiting for us since we sunk the island, I felt every nerve in my body tense up, as if my own body was reminding me who we're up against.

Father or not, he's done things that can never be forgiven.

And I'll be sure to punish him _dearly_ for it.

"Nick-kun..." Yuki gasped, feeling a little nervous. I quickly reached out to hold her hand, which easily calmed her down.

Hand in hand, we walked out of the elevator and readied ourselves.

"Well, well," Jeff taunted, his Guardian floating behind him. "I'm impressed. You actually had the nerve to show up."

"What, and miss the biggest battle of the century?" I teased. "You of all people should know me better than that."

"Before we start tearing this place apart, otou-san, there's one thing I want to know," Yuki stated. "Why did you sell your soul to a demon? The father I knew would never have even considered doing what you did!"

"Have you seen the world that we live in today?" Jeff proclaimed. "Surely you understand what I am getting at. Our world is stuck in a slow decay, heading towards oblivion. You couldn't have understood what it felt like, being an innocent bystander in this farce who knew there was nothing that you could do to change anything. When I discovered the demon Merkabah and learned of the power it possesses and what it had done to the ancient kingdom, I instantly knew of my calling. By releasing the demon and allowing him to inhabit my soul, I was gifted the powers of darkness, and along with it, the power to change the world that we live in."

Jeff spun his battle staff before continuing. "Naturally, I waited to let Merkabah take a full grasp of my soul until recently. As much as you have disrupted us, I know that you two, even when you were younger, were quite perceptive and would have easily noticed the changes I would undergo. So Merkabah slept dormant in my soul until two and a half years ago, when I officially created the Delegates of Darkness to accomplish our goal."

"And just what the flying hell would _that _be?!" I shot back, brandishing Nenshou Hikari.

"As I'm sure you're aware, Merkabah does not currently have a physical form of its own, due to the curse placed upon it by the ancients," Jeff explained. "The Delegates of Darkness were formed in order to create a suitable vessel for Merkabah to inhabit so that it may smite the world as it did in days long past. Sadly, our work has all been for naught due to your actions. But it does not matter anyway. As long as Merkabah inhabits my soul, he will live on."

"So, what you're basically saying is that you let Merkabah into your soul, you sold yourself to the darkness... because you were nothing but a frickin' _coward?!_" I growled. "Give me a break! I'd say you're even _more_ of a coward now because you still can't accept the truth that's right in front of your face!"

"No one has the power to change fate on their own," Yuki stated, readying Tobiume. "But I've always said that a single human thought can change the world. We can accept change and move on with our heads held high. You apparently couldn't see that and tried to force your own ideals on a world that barely understands magic itself, let alone the demon you're trying to unleash on it!"

Jeff just shook his head in disgust. "It's still sad that you can't understand what I am trying to do. I suppose it can't be helped. You two are far more stubborn than I give you credit for."

"Yeah, we apparently got our stubbornness from you," I shot back. "So don't pull any of your crap on us, got it?!"

Jeff grinned evilly, raising his hands. "Well, then what should I pull?"

"Are we gonna freakin' fight, or are you just going to stand there and babble all damn night?!" Yuki shouted.

I steadied myself, knowing that dad was about to go on the warpath.

I definitely didn't expect him to charge at Yuki first, though. I dashed over there only to have the Guardian swat me aside like a bug as Jeff slammed his palm into Yuki's chest.

Almost instantly following the hit, Yuki's body shined with a strange dark light.

"W-what the...?" Yuki gasped, trying in vain to resummon her weapon, which had vanished after she'd been struck. "What did you do to my magic, you bastard?!"

"I merely sealed it away. Now your precious twilight powers can't help you now, little lady," Jeff proclaimed, gesturing to his Guardian. "Restrain him."

The Guardian detached from Jeff and slammed me into the side of the tower, using its arms to hold me in place.

As I struggled to break free of my restraints, I looked up and felt my heart just about stop as Jeff rushed at Yuki and impaled her through the chest with his sword.

I immediately began thrashing about, trying in vain to break the hold this creature had on me. "Let me go! I'm gonna freakin' _kill_ you, you son of a bitch!"

Jeff completely ignored me and thrust his hands forward, unleashing a pulse wave that struck Yuki dead-on and sent her flying off the edge of the tower.

When I saw her shocked face as she fell, I swear I could feel my heart shatter. I made her a promise that I'd protect her... and in one swift move, this happens...

Yuki's eyes seemed to say "it's not your fault". I'm not sure if my mind was just trying to play a trick on me.

When Yuki disappeared from my sight, I just stood there, completely still, my mind not wanting to comprehend what had just happened.

I didn't know what to do anymore.

And that really scared me.

"That was easier than I thought," Jeff proclaimed.

And seeing that son of a bitch act so smug and condescending about it...

...that was the last straw.

I let out a mighty scream, transforming into my super form and shattering the Guardian's hold on me so I could fly over and slam my fist straight into Jeff's chest.

"Do you have _any idea_ what you just did, you bastard?!" I screamed, landing as many blows as I could and not giving him a second's chance to retaliate. "Do you have any idea?! _Any at all?!"_

I reached out to summon Nenshou Hikari and slash Jeff across the chest. "That was my _sister_ you just sent to her death! Do you have a single clue how much she meant to me, you son of a bitch?!"

I went into a furious frenzy, slashing at every body part I could and inflicting as much damage as I could muster, intending to inflict the pain I was feeling tenfold onto the man who calls himself my dad.

"And even worse, you trap me there and force me to do nothing but watch her die and make me feel like it's my fault that she's gone from my life?!" I wailed, tears streaming from my eyes as I continued my assault.

Finally, I socked Jeff in the gut again so that he keeled over, giving me the perfect vantage to impale him straight through his black heart.

Yuki... I did it.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for not being able to protect you like I promised I would...

I yanked Nenshou Hikari back, expecting to see blood spurt from that grievous wound.

But...

...dad just stood there in that hunched over position like I hadn't even accomplished anything.

Okay, now I'm starting to get concerned.

All of a sudden, darkness began to surround Jeff, forming a sort of cocoon around him. Oh, great, what trick does he have up his sleeve now?!

When the cocoon of darkness shattered, in Jeff's place was a large, bluish-green-skinned, horned creature that I'd never seen before.

"What the hell?!" I shouted.

"**At long last, I am free to smite the world as I did in days long past,"** the creature proclaimed.

It thankfully didn't take me long to figure out what was going on here.

"Merkabah," I growled.

"**Perceptive as ever, human boy,"** Merkabah replied.

"Wait, I thought that dad said you didn't have a physical form because of the curse you were given," I shouted. "What's going on here?!"

"**The poor fool, in his overblown arrogance, did not understand that I had already planned to resurrect myself in his body,"** Merkabah stated. **"Despite that he had never committed a dark act before releasing me from my damned prison, I could sense the potential this man carried. Now, finally, I am reborn."**

"You still have to answer for his crimes, though," I growled, aiming Nenshou Hikari at Merkabah's face.

"**What must I answer for, boy? How has this man, your own flesh and blood, grievously harmed you?"** Merkabah taunted.

"Um, I don't know, maybe it's the fact that he_ killed my sister right in front of me!_" I shot back. "So I don't want to hear any nonsense from you, either! _Diamond Tempest!_"

I swung Nenshou Hikari hard, unleashing a wave of light that forced Merkabah back in his spot.

"**You fight well,"** Merkabah proclaimed. **"Just like your ancestor did."**

"A-ancestor?" I quipped, now slightly confused.

"**It matters not," **Merkabah resounded. **"I slaughtered your ancestor easily, and I will slaughter you all the same."**

However, instead of bum-rushing me as I thought he would, Merkabah simply disappeared. I took this time to cast my teleportation spell and warp back down to the city streets.

My heart almost stopped again as I saw Yuki's mangled, unconscious body.

She didn't look as injured as I thought she would be for some reason, but I became scared upon realizing that I could now actually _feel_ her life slipping away.

And then, of all people, Doremi came running onto the scene.

"Kelly-kun, is everything okay?" Doremi asked, only to nearly start hyperventilating at the sight of my battered sister.

"Take her to the hospital, quickly," I gasped. "Please, Doremi-chan, before I lose what little sense of reason I have left..."

Doremi nodded, scooping Yuki's body into her arms and dashing off to the hospital.

Now that I can concentrate, knowing that my sister is in safe hands, I began extending my senses to find Merkabah, not intent on letting that demon bastard escape.

That's when I felt a small tremor from nearby. I turned around...

...and then I looked up.

Merkabah had grown immensely, now dwarfing even the Skywhirl Tower.

"**Poor, miserable port city,"** Merkabah proclaimed. **"Built on the site of the former kingdom, you have survived my wrath long enough. This is where I bring your world crashing down upon you."**

Merkabah swung one of his giant clawed hands, tearing through a nearby building like it was nothing but paper.

That did it for me.

I've already almost lost what remains of my family, but he's crossing a line by trying to destroy my beloved city!

"MERKABAH!" I exclaimed, casting my teleportation spell and warping to the top of a building that was close to him. "Stop right where you are!"

"**Hmm. You are even less imposing up close,"** Merkabah taunted. **"What do you hope to accomplish by fighting me?"**

"What I should have done the instant I sensed your stink on my father's soul," I proclaimed.

I brandished Nenshou Hikari, ready for my final fight.

"I'm going to take you down."

"**Ever the amusing one you are,"** Merkabah stated, readying its own claws. **"By all means, do entertain me!"**

Merkabah started by sweeping his claws out, attempting to catch me in mid-rush. I simply stood my ground, knowing that if I let my grief and rage get the better of me, I won't last long.

I dodged around the claw sweeps, moving in when I felt an opportunity arose and hacking away at the hands, though this seemed easier said than done, as Merkabah's skin was pretty thick.

Merkabah then tried to flatten me by slamming his fists down on the building. I made sure to stay away from the shockwaves each impact made and wait for my chance to strike.

I noted that after every three fist slams, Merkabah paused for a second, and so I took that chance to move in and lay down some attacks.

After a while of this, I finally managed to break through Merkabah's tough skin and actually damage the demon.

Merkabah yowled in pain when I pierced its right hand. **"Insolent boy! Just because you have inflicted damage does not mean you have the advantage! Go quietly to your death and maybe I will grant you mercy!"**

"Fat chance, Merkabah! Demons aren't _capable_ of mercy!" I shot back. "So don't try to fool me!"

Merkabah raised its undamaged hand and clashed its claws together. I barely had time to raise Nenshou Hikari above my head and block the barrage of dark lightning bolts that fell on top of me.

After another swath of dark lightning, I went to work hacking away at the other hand.

Unfortunately, I'd reacted a second too late, as Merkabah snatched me up with its hand and threw me right back against the building. Ouch... that actually hurt...

I looked up just in time to see Merkabah's claws rushing forward on a course to impale me.

"Oh, crap!" I shouted, peeling myself out of the miniature crater I'd made in the wall and dropping down to the floor, going into a roll just in time to avoid becoming swiss cheese.

As Merkabah's hand came at me again, I knocked it off course with a quick Slapshot, then went to town, eventually doing enough damage to pierce through the thick skin and actually hurt Merkabah.

"**You are definitely an interesting opponent,"** Merkabah proclaimed once he'd recovered. **"But I believe I am through playing these infantile games with you."**

Before I could react, Merkabah's hand came at me, effectively pinning me against the wall.

"**You do not seem to grasp the concept that I am a demon,"** Merkabah stated. **"Well, allow me to enlighten you before I send you straight to the depths of hell!"**

"Not today, gigantor! _The gracefulness of a girl who can dream, take this! Ojamajo Aura Star!_"

A flurry of golden energy bursts pummeled Merkabah in the face, causing him to stumble back and allowing me to land safely on my feet.

I looked up and saw the rest of my fellow Ojamajos, all in their witch uniforms, standing on the top of the entryway.

"Did we make it in time?" Aiko asked.

"Better late than never," I stated.

"We'll ask what's up with this monster boy later," Doremi proclaimed. "Right now, we need to know if you have a game plan, Kelly-kun!"

I'll admit, I've been fighting this giant for so long that I'm kinda out of options.

"All I've really got is a contingency plan," I replied. "You can all thank Momoko for giving me what could be the trump card we need."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the seven Majokai Crystals. To my surprise, Merkabah seemed to step back in fear at the sight of them.

"**W-wh-where did you get those crystals?!"** Merkabah exclaimed. **"I thought they were lost to the waves of time!"**

"Oh, so _now _you're scared?" I taunted. "Thinking you probably shouldn't have taunted me with any of your bull earlier?!"

Not wasting any time, I let the Majokai Crystals go, and they spun around me, eventually attaching themselves to my wand and forming a makeshift ring around the base of the wand.

Once that occurred, I felt an immense surge of power flow through my body.

"All right, now how do I do this?" I wondered. My only concern was how to use this newfound power to strike the decisive blow I need to.

"Nick! You need to aim for his heart!"

I perked up at that. Why does that voice sound familiar?

I looked back at Merkabah, who seemed to be dumbstruck. I cast my gaze down, and I could easily see why; my father was clutching onto Merkabah's chest for dear life.

"D-dad?!" I exclaimed. "What the hell?!"

"Aim for his heart, exactly where I am right now!" Jeff exclaimed, and you can definitely bet I was surprised to see that he looked like he was now the father I knew before Merkabah consumed his soul.

"Dad, what the hell's going on?! How are you still alive?!" I shouted.

"I managed to regain myself for a short time, but it won't last long!" Jeff proclaimed. "You need to strike now, while he's vulnerable!"

"B-but if I do, you'll die, too! And you just came back to the father I used to love!" I responded, suddenly feeling very conflicted. "What do you expect me to do?!"

"**You human wretch! My own vessel dares to defy me?!"** Merkabah shouted, trying to regain control of his body.

"I know I've done things that can never be forgiven, even if it's only because I let this demon into my life..." Jeff proclaimed. "But this way, I can at least leave this world knowing I did something good in the end!"

I just stood there, unsure of what to do. I had a chance to get my real father back, but what would that do if Merkabah was left to roam the world, destroying whatever he touches.

"Hurry, Nick! I can't hold him for much longer!" Jeff shouted.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

"It's what he wants, Nick," Momoko stated softly. "This way, he can pass on in peace, rather than spend the rest of eternity as that monster's vessel."

I looked back at Momoko's comforting smile, then back at my father, who was still holding onto Merkabah for all his worth.

I took a few steps forward, my mind made up.

"Can you ever forgive me, son?" Jeff asked.

I raised my wand, ready to finish this.

"I already did, dad, when you returned to who you were," I whispered, though I knew he could hear me. "Be at peace, and say hi to mom for me, okay?"

I focused my magical strength into my powered-up wand, calling on the power of the crystals as well.

"Be gone, foul demon!" I shouted, aiming straight for where Jeff was holding onto. "You will never see the light of the world again!"

My Koseki Poron began to glow with all the colors of the rainbow.

"_The bow and string of a determined boy, take this! Ojamajo Arrow of Light!"_ I screamed, firing off my signature attack. This time, however, the jade green energy burst was surrounded by a rainbow light.

The attack thundered through the sky, striking Merkabah directly in its heart.

"**No, no! This cannot be! I... I was so close to dominating this world!"** Merkabah screamed.

"Go back from whence you came, Merkabah!" I proclaimed. "Trouble the world and the spirit of my family _no more!_"

I poured even more power into my attack, causing rainbow light to burst from all of Merkabah's wounds. Once the light show ended, Merkabah's body began to disintegrate, with Jeff following suit.

"Dad... I'm sorry... all of this... for what?" I gasped.

"It is all right, son... after all, 'for what profit is it to a man if he gains the world, and loses his own soul?'" Jeff stated. "I... should have... followed my own words... closer..."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Though our family wasn't religious, dad always liked quoting certain proverbs.

"Take care of mom for me, okay?" I requested.

"I will... and please... tell Yuki that... I am sorry... farewell, my son..."

And with those last words, both Jeff and Merkabah disintegrated, fading into complete nothingness.

I collapsed to my knees from sheer exhaustion, oblivious to the rapturous applause from the others.

"That was amazing, Kelly-kun!" Doremi exclaimed, reaching out and hugging me. "I've never seen you so brave!"

"But... I... lost both of my parents now..." I gasped, shaking my head in anger. "God damn it, I never felt like this before, so why the heck am I feeling sorrow now that dad's officially dead?! All this time, I wanted to freakin' kill him because of what he's done, but now that he regained his humanity only mere _moments_ before he died, why did I still go through with it?!"

"It's always natural to feel hurt when you lose someone you love," Doremi replied. "I was a wreck when ojii-san died, but he wouldn't want me to grieve for the rest of my life... he would have wanted me to live my life, knowing that he made this world a slightly better place for being there... your father probably wanted the same thing before he lost his way..."

"Remember, Nick, at least he died as the father you knew and loved, not the monster he became," Momoko stated in a soothing voice. "Maybe you can find some solace in that."

"I seriously don't get why you're so doomy and gloomy, Kelly-kun," Aiko quipped. "Do you know what you just did? You vanquished a demon, a _freakin' demon!_ I'd be happy knowing I did somethin' awesome like that!"

"I know that, Ai-chan, but it's hard for me to be happy about it, considering what I've lost..." I replied.

That seemed to soften Aiko's expression. "Oh... oh, man, Kelly-kun, I am _so sorry..._"

"It's not your fault," I stated. "All I can really do now is hope that Yuki-chan will make it back alive... I'd be devastated if I lost her, too... she's the only family I have left..."

"Well, why don't we go to the hospital and see if we can visit her?" Hazuki asked. "I'm sure she'd like that."

Wiping a few tears out of my eyes, I took the time to stand up. "Y-yeah. I'm sure she would."

We all snapped our fingers and reverted to our normal selves. Maybe actually seeing Yuki will alleviate some of this heartbreak, regardless if she knows I'm actually there.

I was the first one to walk to the building's stairway and open the door. I was honestly too exhausted to use magic at the moment regardless.

But, for some reason, instead of the stairway, I saw nothing but a blue void.

"What the...?"

From out of nowhere, a very familiar-looking clawed hand shot out from the strange void and pulled me into it.

Then, for what felt like an eternity, I was surrounded by nothing...

...but darkness.

I can't see anything.

I can't hear anything.

I can't even _feel_ anything.

I'm... surrounded by darkness...

Where... am I?

It feels like all of my senses have been exterminated. It's like I'm flying blind in a place I've never been to before.

I can barely hold my eyes open, either.

Why? I don't understand...

I feel so heavy, like something's trying to drown me.

Is that what this is?

Am I drowning in this darkness?

Or... is the darkness drowning me?

I honestly don't understand anymore...

It even feels like my mind is going blank.

I never thought... that this would be how it ends...

Consumed... by the darkness... how ironic...

I've been fighting the darkness... for so long...

...and yet I meet my end... at that very same darkness...

"_...wake up..."_

Huh? Who... was that?

"Who... who's calling me?" I asked, only hearing my own voice. Was I honestly being tricked? Is the darkness that cruel?

No response. Guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I couldn't see where I was supposed to go. There was nothing to guide me.

Again, I probably should have seen that coming.

I decide to just start moving. I'm not sure where I'll go, but I have to at least try. I don't want to fall into the darkness... not yet...

"**It is futile. You have already fallen into the darkness."**

Another voice. This one very familiar. But... I thought I destroyed him...

"**Though you destroyed my physical body, my spirit lives on. I am a demon, after all. I cannot be so easily killed."**

Oh, fantastic. Is this how I'm going to spend my time in the darkness? Taunted for eternity by the spirit of the demon I thought for sure I'd killed?

"Why... are you... torturing me?" I asked, my voice sounding extremely sleepy and exhausted, as if I'd run a marathon.

"**I have done nothing, boy. You brought this upon yourself."**

"Start... making sense..."

"**I warned you, did I not? The line between light and darkness is a very thin one. Even for someone like you, it is not easy to toe the line without slipping up."**

I looked around, realizing that I couldn't see my own hands anymore. Is the darkness taking me?

"**You are young still, so you could not possibly understand. Darkness is found in every heart, even yours."**

I... I know that... I'm not stupid...

"**I could sense that you were slipping into the darkness when you attacked my vessel. Your grief over the loss of the twilight princess drove you into a rage that put you that much closer to the darkness."**

What... was I supposed to do? You killed her... did you expect me to just take it?

"**I knew you would become enraged at this act. It seemed the perfect bait to draw you into the darkness. And now, you will spend eternity in the shadows, forever lost, wandering endlessly."**

I silently cursed myself for not realizing it sooner. If this was the end result...

I would have just...

I... I just...

"**Is something the matter? Are you feeling sorrow?"**

"I... I honestly... don't know... can you feel _anything_... when the darkness consumes you?"

No response. I guess he didn't feel like taunting me anymore.

That's fine by me.

If my fate is to fall into the darkness...

...then at least... I can be satisfied... knowing I took that demon with me...

Even I know when I'm out of luck...

...but still... there's so many things I still wanted to do with my life...

...and...

"_...wake up..."_

There's that voice again.

Who exactly is trying to call to me? I'm surprised that I can still hear it over the darkness...

My senses... are starting to shut down again.

Whoever is calling me... I'm sorry...

"_...please wake up..."_

I can still hear the voice.

Is this Merkabah's doing? I know he's still here somewhere, just waiting for the opportunity to taunt me more...

"_...please... please wake up..."_

That voice... it's beginning to sound strangely familiar.

"**I would advise against placing your hopes in an unfamiliar voice."**

Oh, not you again.

"**The only one that is here with you in the darkness is me. Though I cannot harm you in any way, what with my body and vessel destroyed, I can still mock you for all of eternity."**

Go ahead, then... I don't have any reason to resist...

"**So, you do understand after all. You've finally realized that your fate is to fade into the darkness."**

"_You shut up!"_

Okay, _that_ definitely surprised me. Seriously, who is this voice that's calling out to me?

I just realized... I can barely see myself...

Has the darkness finally consumed me?

"_Don't give up! Please, just hold on a little longer!"_

Who... who are you?

"**It is fruitless, little boy. This is the exact same way your ancestor met his demise... trying to save the one he loved, he damned himself to the darkness forever... are you saying you wish to suffer the same fate?"**

I... I'm scared... I don't want to fall into the darkness...

"**It is too late. Your heart belongs again to darkness."**

"_Don't give in!"_

"**Who is this that interferes?"**

Desperate to find any way to soothe the pain of losing myself to the darkness, I attempted to cling to this voice like a lifeline, trying desperately to hold on.

"_Just stay with me, please! As long as I'm here, I won't let you fall!"_

"**Forget it, boy. You can cling to a phantom voice all you want, but you will not resist your fate."**

"_Didn't I tell you to shut up?!"_

All right, my head is swimming with so many questions even as the darkness continues to surround me.

I decided to take a chance.

"Who... who are you?"

"_...Nick-kun, don't you recognize me?"_

Wait a minute...

Is that... who I think it is...?

"_Stay with me, Nick-kun... please don't fall..."_

"**How is it that you still live, princess?! My vessel clearly killed you!"**

Just as I felt like I would fade away for good, despite clinging to the source of the voice, a hand reached out from the darkness and took my hand, causing a bright flash to erupt.

When it cleared, I was still in the endless dark void...

...but I could see myself again.

Okay, what's going on here?

"_Oh, thank god you're okay, onii-chan..."_

I looked up and there she was. Though she seemed transparent, like a spirit would, I could still sense something inside her. I was honestly scared now.

"Yuki-chan? Is my mind playing games with me?" I asked, still utterly confused. "Are you alive, or..."

"_I don't know, Nick-kun, but I could somehow feel that you were in danger, and I couldn't just let you fall into the darkness! I wouldn't be doing my duty as your little sister!"_ Yuki exclaimed.

Yuki seemed to notice the strange expression in my eyes. _"Is... something wrong, Nick-kun?"_

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Yuki-chan... if I'd have been able to protect you like I promised you I would... we wouldn't even be in this mess right now!" I exclaimed, tears starting to fall from my eyes.

"_Don't,"_ Yuki responded. _"Don't blame yourself for any of this. There was nothing you could have done."_

Yuki floated over and hugged me. My mind quieted slightly when I felt how warm she was.

"_You don't have to beat yourself up over something that wasn't your fault. I was the one who should have seen it coming. But we don't have time for a pity party right now,"_ Yuki continued.

"But what am I supposed to do?" I asked. "I can't use my powers in this place..."

"_Remember our trump card, Nick-kun?"_

I concentrated for a few seconds, and somehow found myself able to summon my Koseki Poron to my hand. I looked at it, and saw that the Majokai Crystals were still attached to the base of the wand.

"I'm gonna need your help, though, Yuki-chan," I admitted.

"_Of course! Anything for you, onii-chan!"_

Yuki spun around and embraced me from behind.

I focused on the power of the crystals, their glow brightening this seemingly endless void of darkness.

After a few seconds, I could see Merkabah; all that was left of him was a dark cloud with red eyes and horns.

"Got you, you son of a bitch!" I shouted, gripping my Koseki Poron tightly.

"**How... how did you find me?!"** Merkabah shouted. **"This is a realm of complete darkness!"**

"Well, apparently you underestimated me, because now that my mind's clear, I remembered that I have a reason not to fall into the darkness," I shot back. "I have a reason to stay uncorrupted by the likes of you!"

I spun my wand in my hands, the glow becoming brighter and brighter with each passing second.

"I warned you not to trouble our world any more, and now you're going to pay, you bastard!" I exclaimed.

Seven multi-colored lights appeared around me, reacting to my wishes.

"_Spirits of divinity, heed my call..."_ I chanted. _"I seek to wipe out this demon of the darkness and cleanse this world of his presence!"_

I thrust my wand into the air, and the seven lights around me flew into the air, with the Majokai Crystals detaching from my wand and following suit, absorbing into the spheres.

"_I call upon the sacred virtues of the crystals! Lend me your strength so that we may eradicate this evil once and for all!"_ I chanted.

The energy spheres began to surround me again, feeding their immense power into me.

"**You will not have the satisfaction!"** Merkabah exclaimed, creating hundreds of spectral copies of his original body to attack us.

As my body began to glow with all the colors of the rainbow, I aimed my wand at the original Merkabah, ready to put this clown down.

"_Starlight of miracles, unite in our hands!"_ Yuki and I shouted together. _"Final Arte, Ojamajo Prism Cannon!"_

With those words, an immense energy beam made of what seemed to be every color in existence erupted from my wand, screaming through the void with all the speed and force of a lightning strike.

As the spectral Merkabah clones attempted to attack, they were instantly vaporized upon contact with the Prism Cannon until it reached Merkabah itself, the vortex of colors tearing at his very essence.

"**This... this cannot be! How am I so defeated?!"** Merkabah screamed as his soul began to tear itself apart.

"You're a demon of the darkness, Merkabah," I proclaimed. "You really should learn to face the light!"

Finally, Merkabah completely dissipated, leaving absolutely nothing behind. I finally felt a sense of triumph when his aura completely faded into nothingness.

"_That was wonderful, Nick-kun," _Yuki giggled.

"Finally... this nightmare is over," I sighed.

Suddenly, I realized that Yuki's presence was fading away.

"_I've done all I can,"_ Yuki stated. _"I'll see you soon, I hope..."_

"Wait! Wait, Yuki-chan, don't leave me!" I shouted, sounding quite desperate.

To no avail, sadly, as I was left all alone in this dark void.

Just then, I felt my body being flung through the darkness by an unknown force.

"_It's not your time yet. I won't let you fall to darkness."_

A door opened somewhere in the darkness, and I tried to reach out for it, knowing that I could hopefully save myself from the darkness.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When I could finally see again, I noticed that I was in a hospital room, of all places. How the heck did I get here?

Then, I caught a glimpse of who was in that bed. It was my sister.

How did I wind up in my sister's hospital room?

"Nick-kun, where did you come from?"

I turned around saw none other than Saiki Shidoosha sitting on a nearby chair. He looked a little freaked out, most likely due to my apparently abrupt entrance into the room.

"I was going to ask you the same question, Saiki-kun," I replied.

"This weird portal thing just opened in the room, and you fell out of it," Saiki explained. "You were out cold for a couple minutes..."

"It's... a pretty long story, buddy," I quipped. "Did you come to visit her?"

"The instant I heard she'd been admitted," Saiki answered.

I decided to take a chance and ask. "You're... not mad at me, are you?"

To my honest surprise, Saiki looked a little confused. "What? Why would I be mad at you, Nick-kun? I know that it was your father who did this to her."

"But I figured you'd probably be angry with me for not being able to protect her like I promised I would..." I admitted. "Dad had me cornered, trapped... I tried everything I could..."

"And that's all anyone ever expects of you," Saiki continued. "To do the best you can. I know what it's like to feel helpless, Nick-kun, especially when it comes to someone we love. I'd be feeling the same way if Akatsuki-kun was in this position..."

"Did... did the doctors say anything?" I asked, starting to fear the worst.

"Not much," Saiki replied. "They said her injuries are serious, but not life-threatening. She could be in here for a while, you know."

"I don't care," I quipped. "As long as she stays alive, I'll come back no matter how long it takes for her to recover. I... I need her, Saiki-kun. I couldn't imagine my life without her..."

Saiki nodded. "I feel the same way about my brother."

I looked at Yuki; she looked so peaceful in slumber, even when she was clinging to life.

_I really hope you'll be all right, Yuki-chan,_ I thought. _That's all I can do for you right now._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Three weeks had passed since the final battle with Merkabah. Life went back to normal, er, as normal as it gets for a magic user. Every day after school let out, I came to the hospital to visit my sister.

Even though she slept through the whole thing, I didn't really do much but pray to whatever gods might be listening. I'm not a religious guy, mostly because I don't like religious people who try to force their ideals on other people, but I'm freakin' desperate here. My mind has been playing really mean tricks on me at night, and I sometimes feel like my world is falling apart.

I'm not making any of this up, people.

But I tried to block all of the bad stuff out of my mind as I reached the front lobby of the hospital.

"Excuse me?" I asked the nearby receptionist. "My name's Nick Kelly, and I'm here to visit my sister, Yuki Shinoya, in room 29-F."

"Oh, Shinoya-san checked out a few hours ago," the receptionist answered.

"W-what?!" I exclaimed. "She's alive?!"

"The doctors said that she recovered a lot faster than we expected," the receptionist replied. "They didn't find any problems with the recovery, so we allowed her to check out today."

"Thanks, miss!" I shouted, rushing right back out into the city.

If she's up and running, where's the first place she'd go?

I did a quick u-turn, realizing that she's probably at home, no doubt waiting for me while I was stuck in school.

Once I found myself back at the Asuka household, the door opened for me, no doubt because Momoko was expecting me.

"Hey, Nick, I'm glad you're back, because boy, do I have a surprise for you!" Momoko giggled, moving aside to reveal that Yuki was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels as she liked to do in the morning.

And you can imagine my relief when I saw no traces of any of the wounds she'd suffered.

I don't know _how _she could have possibly healed that fast, but at this moment in time, I don't really give a crap. I'm just so happy she's all right!

"What's shakin', bacon?" Yuki giggled.

I was so happy that I couldn't stop myself from dashing into the living room and throwing myself at her.

"Yuki-chan, you're alive! You're actually alive!" I exclaimed, tears falling from my eyes.

"Of course I am, Nick-kun!" Yuki replied, embracing me back. "It'll take a lot more than that to bring me down!"

"We wanted to surprise you," Momoko stated. "We knew you were still in school when they let Yuki-chan check out, so we decided to surprise you when you got home."

"But... how did you heal so fast?!" I exclaimed. "Normally it'd take at least a month for what dad did to you!"

Add to that the fact that Minori and Kenzou are still laid up in the hospital (they're recovering quite well, in fact).

"I guess it was my dark power," Yuki replied. "It's a lot like Saiki-kun's, in that respect. Without it, I'd probably still be in the hospital right now."

"You know what, to hell with the reasons," I gasped, holding my sister for dear life. "I'm just so happy that you're all right..."

"It's okay, onii-chan," Yuki giggled, kissing my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, it's almost time for magic practice," Momoko quipped. "Are you guys coming this time?"

"You know what, just go ahead and tell Majorika that I'll pass on practice for today," I responded. "I just want to spend some time with my sister."

"All right," Momoko stated. "You two be good, okay?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that, seeing Momoko act like a mother figure in her parents' stead.

Once Momoko had left, I looked Yuki up and down. Not a single wound on her body.

"What's up?" Yuki giggled. "Are you so entranced by my beauty that you have no words left?"

"Yuki-chan, do you have any idea how scared I was?" I asked. "I really thought I was going to lose you after what dad did to you..."

"At least otou-san passed away as the father we loved, right?" Yuki replied. "Momo-chan told me about everything that happened after I fell off the tower."

"I still can't believe he managed to regain control of himself," I admitted. "It still hurts, though... he finally got his soul back, but at what cost?"

"It's what he wanted," Yuki answered. "Okaa-san would probably have said the same thing. Nankurunaisa, remember?"

I just had to smile at the utterance of our magic word.

"And, Yuki-chan? Thank you so much for helping me finish off that demon," I stated, hugging Yuki again.

"It's like I said, Nick-kun, there was _no way_ I was just going to let you fall into darkness," Yuki proclaimed. "What kind of little sister would I be if I did that?"

I stared at Yuki for a couple seconds, trying to think of how to word this.

Thankfully, Yuki seemed to read my mind (she's good at that), and smiled at me. "You can go ahead, onii-chan. It's all right."

"Really? Well, if it's okay with you..." I replied before leaning forward and actually kissing her.

I felt so relieved when she kissed me back, because that could have gone either way.

When we separated, Yuki looked back at me. "How long have you wanted to do that, Nick-kun?"

"Ever since I heard that you'd recovered," I admitted. "Yuki-chan, I love you, and I was so scared that I was going to lose you. I know I've said it a hundred thousand times by this point, but... I honestly couldn't imagine my life without you..."

I let my head rest on her shoulders. "I love you, Yuki-chan... maybe... maybe a little more than I should..."

"Hey, hey," Yuki replied. "Don't ever doubt yourself, okay, Nick-kun? That's not the big brother I know. There's nothing wrong with saying that you love me, because I feel exactly the same way. My entire life, you've been there for me, helping me through good times and bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's no one in this world I'll love more than you, Nick-kun, and you are honestly the best big brother I could have ever asked for."

I couldn't help but hug her again after that statement. Call me a sap if you want, but I'm just so overjoyed that she's back in my life again.

**("Futari no Prologue" by Saeko Chiba plays)**

"Hey, Nick-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"The wind just started blowing."

I forgot that Momoko left the window open, even on this pretty chilly November day.

"I guess it did. Any particular reason for noticing that?"

"The answer's so obvious, onii-chan."

Yuki leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.

"The wind's carrying our prologue."

So, life went back to what it was. We spent our days in magic practice and our nights enjoying our lives.

I'll admit, things did get a little boring with no bad guys to fight, but considering my track record, it probably won't be long before we end up fighting someone bad. I don't see how anyone could be worse than the Delegates of Darkness, but you know me and my curse.

"Yeah! Get that jerk on the run!" Yuki shouted as I continued to maneuver around my opponents. They wanted this ball? Well, too bad!

I hopped over one opponent and did a quick snap kick to send the ball to my teammate, remembering the strategy we'd practiced for weeks now.

As we continued to relay towards the goal, I saw two of the opponents' bulky defenders try to block our way. Oh, they want to play this way, huh? All right, then!

My teammate passed the ball off to me so I could perform the finisher.

I kicked the ball under the big guy's feet and spun around him so fast that he didn't even see me coming. Now all that stood between me and a victory for my team was the goalie.

He gave me that condescending look that pretty much said "you're not getting past me". Well, they're our rivals from Yokohama, so it makes sense that they think they're better than us.

Guess this goalie's never faced me before. I dipped the ball into the air, hopped off the ground, and with one mighty spinning kick, sent the ball flying right past the goalie and straight into the net.

The crowd went nuts at this, since that goal pretty much gave us the game. I flashed a thumbs up to my teammates.

And sure enough, of the people coming from the stands to cheer for us, one of them was Yuki.

"That was amazing, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed. "You showed that pompous blowhard what for!"

"Maybe this'll drive it home to Yokohama that we're not to be messed with," I replied. "That's another win for Misora!"

"That's the spirit, onii-chan!" Yuki giggled, reaching out to me.

I drew my hand back, and we gave each other a high five.

Much later, after picking up our trophy (it wasn't for the championship, not yet anyway), Yuki and I decided to head home, not as into the whole partying thing as the other students were.

"Well, the soccer team's advancing to the finals!" Yuki exclaimed. "How's it feel, Nick-kun?"

"It's definitely a thing to know that we stomped Yokohama to get here," I replied. "Those guys have been in the finals long enough. And maybe this year, I can help our team finally win a championship."

"With a power kicker like you, I know they have a fighting chance!" Yuki giggled.

I looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set over the Misora skyline.

"Misora looks so beautiful during the sunset, doesn't it?" Yuki stated.

"No kidding," I replied.

"Hey, Nick-kun? Can we hold hands on the way home?"

I smiled, reaching out to hold Yuki's hand.

"Much better," Yuki giggled. "I love you, Nick-kun."

"I love you, too, Yuki-chan," I responded.

And so, hand in hand and our hearts connected, Yuki and I made our way home.

_I never thought I'd live to see eighteen. Isn't that dumb? Every day I look in the mirror and say "What? You still here? Man!" Like even today, I woke up, you know? And the sun was shining and everything was nice, so I thought this is going to be one terrific day, so you'd better live it up, boy... because tomorrow, maybe you'll be gone._

_- James Dean, "Rebel Without a Cause"_

_~The End... for now~_


End file.
